A few good friends and I launched an ongoing project to resurrect old Persian melodies and add Western cheer to them only using instruments traditionally used in Celtic & Quebecois music like guitar, mandolin, banjo, accordion and even feet tapping.
I am thrilled to have my Quebecois friends involved, they bring a unique contribution that is fun and refreshing. In the songs, you will hear feet tapping (“podorythmie” as they say in French). These intricate rhythmic patterns played with feet tapping stay on-time while playing instruments. It’s really hard!
Most of the songs from this project is off of one inspirational CD I found in Iran, Yeylagh by Keivan Pahlavan (drums) & Pooyan Azadeh (piano). They are both music academics from Iran and travelled to remote regions in Iran to compile and research the music that is now found in this CD.
After listening to it, I wanted to see how folk Persian music would sound like if we use the same instruments we play in Celtic & Quebecois music all the time. So here it is. Check it out! If you care, please share!
*Baraye Dr. Homa Darabi is an original composition. Here is a little background about Dr. Darabi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homa_Darabi:
Homa Darabi (January 1940—February 21, 1994, Tehran) was a pediatrician from Iran licensed to practice medicine in New Jersey, New York, and California. She returned to Iran in 1976 to serve as a psychiatrist. After the Islamic Revolution, Islamic authorities shut down her office because she had refused to wear the chador.
On Monday, February 21, 1994, about a month after a 16 year old girl was shot to death in Tehran for wearing lipstick, Darabi immolated herself in Tehran while shouting “Death to Tyranny! Long live freedom! Long live Iran!”
Her sister Parvin Darabi named the Dr. Homa Darabi Foundation in her remembrance, with her son co-authored a biography of Dr. Darabi, Rage Against the Veil.
Credits:
Banjo & Podorythmie, Accordion (feet tapping) – Maxime T.
Guitar – David S.
Mandolin – Shirin Delsooz
Sound Engineer – Seratone Studio
Artwork – Anahita T.
Download
Downloads are now available for free. If this is music you like all I ask is that you do what you can to support it. If you have money, please donate. Even if its a dollar. If you can spare a moment, share the music. You are more than encouraged to post the videos on your Facebook walls, Twitter Feeds, & websites. Make copies of the CD and share with your friends. Do your part! Revive Persian folkloric music!
Good job! Good Luck….:D
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Well done Shirin, I have a similar project in mind yet to realize.
Good luck and keep up the good work.
Thank you very much for your interest. The project is still in its infancy. That’s wonderful that you are working on a similar project! Let me know when it comes out and I will put a link to it on my twitter.
I enjoyed listening to your music while I was googling to find the word to an old song my father sings, he is 95 and his memory has gone, but he keeps singing one old song, and now he has also forgotten that one, we are trying to find the words so we can help him, would you know the words to and old persian song ” didah mosa yak shabani ra brah” translation “Moses saw a sheppard on the road, that kept saying aye Khoda and aye Allah:” if you anyone can help us we really will appriciate that. I only know the first line. as i said thank you so much for bringing back the old music. Chahine in PA, USA
Hello, Thanks for tuning in. What a nice thing you are doing for your grandfather. I know just the academics that will help for sure —> http://persiareference.blogspot.ca/
Here’s what they say:
“Persia Reference aims to cater for all who need to improve their knowledge of Iran with authentic information, particularly when they need that information for immediate and practical reasons and from an independent source.
Ask us if you need to know anything about Iran. We either know the answer or connect you to the people who do. ”
You can email them, or call them right now:
Telephone: #1 647 346 4755
Fax: #1 647 346 4755
Email: info@persiareference.com