I went to the Masters of Persian Music tour over the weekend. What an awesome show that was. I was one of about 10 non-Persians there in a room of about 1,000 or so folks. That was kind of cool too, because it felt like we were in on some big secret that the rest of the world doesn't know about. I know it is still touring around a bunch and you should go see it if you are into world music. They've pretty much finished up the East Coast tour, but are headed to Texas the West Coast and Canada. http://www.worldmusicinstitute.org/Touring/current.htm#persian You will not be disappointed.
I've officially lost my faith in BS posters. I wasn't told I wasn't Persian or Asian or for me to go off to Europe like Turkey. What a let down. Even though my first post was serious, I thought for sure someone would take the bait on that line.
Sorry to disappoint. With very few exceptions, you'll not get beat up on this board for any reason, even if you like recent Pearl Jam records. Even the couple of professional jackasses that post regularly on this forum usually have something to add. I was actually hoping your post would become a back-and-forth about Rai music, a genre that I wish I knew more about.
I don't know too much about Rai music either...sorry I can't be of more assistance. Where does that originate?
Rai is Algerian, as far as I know, but to me has more in common with Persian musics than what I know as "African" music.
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/index.html Thursday, October 17, 2002 From its mystical origins more than a thousand years ago, through the Iranian revolution, the art of Persian classical music has remained a living tradition. With roots in poetry and spirituality, it still draws audiences of all ages. Now, some of the modern masters of that music are touring the United States. Thursday on All Things Considered, hear a conversation with virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor and the music of the kamancheh. [link]"http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20021017.atc.17.ram">LISTEN[/link] If you didn't hear this either of the two times they played it tonight on ATC, then you didn't spend as much time in car as I did this evening. Now I'm a bit disappointed I didn't know about this when they were around here.
That's what you get for not coming to the Cheikha Remitti show at Summerstage. I like listening to Rai, even if I don't understand a word of it, but this music, to me, had quite a different sound (and I liked it too...though I'm sure most people I know would run away if I started playing it here at home). Rai (to my ears) sounds a lot more electronic, synthesizer-driven, and is 'pop'; this is classical Persian music, and the lyrics are actually classical Persian poetry. So they say. If I were Persian, I would know that for certain. But I would still not be Asian.
You rang? Speaking of listening to NPR in the Car, anyone catch that story yesterday on ATC about the guy starting up a Muslim cola company to ween the middle east off of Coke in rebuke to it's imperialist american soda monopoly agenda? Man that was funny. He is starting a line of stuff (Mecca Cola is the first product) all with the name Mecca in it (anyone know the arabic word for sacrelige?) so that middle easterners will have an alternative product to choose when they boycott America. Um. Okay. You show those Yankee bastards and their infidel carbonated beverage distributors! Anyway, back to Rai music and their excellent serie A coverage.
Shajarian. Supposedly he is the pavarrati of persian music. Its very nice music, but it is most definitley an acquired taste. One i happen to hav ebecause my family is persian. Its very good music to fall asleep in a car too....while your the passenger of course.
Most good things in life are an aquired taste. The things that just jump right out and grab you are "pop" which as we all know is translated as "zero staying power." Shajarian's son sang on this tour too and he has a really nice voice. I think I was able to make the jump to Persian music from Indian music (althought they don't sound alike, there is enough common theory to make that not a huge leap) and specifically through the group GHAZAL. That group is a combination of kemencheh player Kayhan Kalhor (who is mentioned in above posts) and Shujaat Khan, a sitar player from India. Most world fusion music is junk, but they've actually discovered something great. I would recommend: It isn't "pure" Persian or Indian music, but its actually a good starting point for the unfamiliar.
I guess the closest thing I have in my collection is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Good stuff that! I also have an old Kashmiri record that had a tremendous review in the Christian Science Monitor.