Kamancheh virtuoso Kalhor and baglama virtuoso Erzincan, who released the joint album “The Wind”, have held several concerts in different countries previously. They will also be giving a concert with the same program in Shiraz on September 16.
In a press conference held here on Monday, Kalhor provided some details about their upcoming concert. “The duet is one of the projects I have experienced for some years now with other international musicians.”
Improvisational performance is of high importance and we will be focusing on Turkish maqams (means musical mode in Arabic), he noted.
“I was introduced to Erzincan through a friend. In Turkey, Erzincan is often considered the most outstanding exponent of the Anatolian tradition. He has worked extensively with baglama legend Arif Sag and performed with him around the world,” he remarked.
He then talked about Erzincan’s solo performance slated for the very beginning of the concert and said, “Erzincan has never before performed a concert in Iran, so we thought we would dedicate a few minutes for him to play the baglama. His performance is unique and his special technique is world renowned.” Baglama, a long necked bowl-lute, is a plucked string instrument used in Greek music.
He continued, “Over the past few years, I have collaborated with many international musicians and I would like to invite every single one of them to Iran. I hope I can invite the Indian master of sitar Shujaat Khan to Iran next year to perform the concert ‘Ghazal’ together.”
“In today’s world where everything is interconnected through technology, people are becoming closer to each other. Part of this interconnectedness is cultural, leading to artists and musicians to become better acquainted with one another,” he said.
Music is an international language and make this communication easier, he concluded.
Kalhor introduced his new instrument shahkaman, which is similar to kamancheh in his Tehran concert in July.
RM/YAW
END
MNA