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 The
following musicians have somehow collaborated & contributed
to the Som'ma Project! |
 Shirzad Sharif -
Tonbak/Daf (Persian Percussion)
Shirzad studied the Tonbak under the supervision of Ostad
Bahman Rajabi in Iran. Since then he has adapted his own
unique style of playing enabling him to play melodic rythyms
on the Tonbak while accomponying various instruments, (Melody-Navazy).
His skillful presentation and comprehensive teaching technique
has lead to him performing and conducting seminars at prestigious
institutions such as the University of Maryland, University
of Utah, UCSF, San Francisco State University UCLA.
Shirzad is also the first Tonbak player to have researched &
performed other Middle Eastern, Arabic & non-Persian techniques,
rhythms & compositions on the Tonbak, accompanying instruments
such as the Riqq, Mazhar, Darabuka and Indian Tablas while preserving
the unique technique and sounds distinctive to the Persian Tonbak.
He has composed and performed many percussive compositions using
Arabic, Persian and Indian drums thus connecting and creating
a triangle within the three ancient regions of Persia, India
the Middle East. He is also the founder of Som'ma and pioneer
of a new sound he refers to as Avant-Garde Persian music, a
new and exciting sound that has its roots in Persian classical
music and abstract Avant-Garde ideas. |
 Dr.
Alan Kushan - Santur
Alan Kushan is one of the most accomplished santur players in
the world of music. He is recognized for his unrivaled technique,
elegant musicianship and innovative creativity as a composer
of avant-guard soundscapes.
Alan has been invited to give numerous seminars and master classes
throughout Europe and North America. He has performed at music
festivals, on radio and television bringing the ancient and
hauntingly spiritual sound of the Santur to new audiences across
the world.
He has a keen interest in the musical traditions of all cultures.
Prior to his relocation in the U.S., he held the position of
instructor of classical Persian music at the University of Toronto.
He is the featured solo artist on several albums including Pegah
(XDOT25 1006-2), Within the Galaxies, Planes of the Similitude's,
Arctic Soul (XDOT25 1014-2), and East to East (XDOT25 1015-2).
Please visit Alan's site at www.alankushan.com
For over fifteen years, Alan has maintained an active involvement
performing and composing for theatrical and cinematic productions.
He is the recipient of numerous awards for his accomplishments
including the 1991 Genie Award for "Best Short Film", and a
nomination in 1993 for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for "Best
Musical Score for Theatrical Production". Alan was recently
honored as Associate Composer at the Canadian Music Center.
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Amir Koushkani -
Tar
Born in Tehran, Amir was introduced to classical Persian music
at home. At thirteen, he began formal training in the art of
playing Tar and Setar at the National Iranian Radio and Television's
Center for Preservation and Propagation of National Music. He
studied under the guidance and supervision of Master Darioush
Peerniakhan. At nineteen, Amir became an instructor of Tar at
the Center, and subsequently continued to explore his passion
for Persian music through composition and improvisation.
Amir has worked extensively on Persian 'Radif' (stylization
of music) over the last 13 years, and has mastered the classical
approaches to performing and studying Radif. In 1991, he emigrated
to Canada and since then has given over 60 performances in Canada,
the U.S.and Europe, including the WOMAD Festival in Toronto
(1991), the Sufi Music Village Festival in London, UK (1997),
Comox Festival and Vancouver Folk Festival (1999). He created
and performed the music for two plays on Sufi themes, Quest
(1996) and Love (1997), for both of which he was nominated for
a Jesse Richardson award. Visit Amir's website at www.koushkani.com
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Mark Deutsch -
Bazantar
Mark is a visionary artist with a background in non-linear mathematics,
sacred systems and cosmology. As a classically trained bassist
whilst studying sitar and North Indian classical music with
the legendary Ustad Imrat Khan developed a breaking new instrument:
The Bazantar - a five-string acoustic bass fitted with an additional
twenty-nine sympathetic strings and four drone strings. The
result is a remarkable instrument that weaves a mesmerizing
soundscape of resonance, and evokes all the power of Western
classical music with the depth and nuance of Eastern traditions.
Since the creation of the Bazantar, Mark has been performing
extensively world wide, performing at the Juilliard School of
Music and at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City. On the collaborative
side, his music has attracted an eclectic array of musicians,
including the Grammy award-winning cellist David Darling; the
seminal Chicago rock band Tortoise; virtuoso erhu player and
principle soloist with the Beijing National Symphony Yang Ying;
and jazz luminaries such as William Parker, Roy Campbell, and
Hamid Drake. For more information on Mark the Bazantar visit:
www.bazantar.com |
Mary Ellen Donald -
Middle Eastern Percussion
Mary Ellen Donald is a nationaly acclaimed performer and instructor
of Middle Eastern percussion. Her musical accomplishments are
even more so noteworthy because she is blind. She plays her
drums and lives her life with joy in her heart.
Mary Ellen has taught workshops and performed with Middle Eastern
bands in most of the major cities throughout the US. For over
twenty-five years she has maintained a large student body in
the San Francisco Bay Area. Please visit her site here!
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Pourya Khademi - Violin
Pourya Khademi was born to a widely recognized master
of traditional Iranian violin Alireza Khademi which began
teaching Pourya at a really early age. Due to the post-revolution
political turmoil, the family fled to Germany where they
spent the next eight years. In fact, music became one
of the most important elements in the family’s struggle
to maintain their Iranian heritage. Father and son continue
to work together and have performed at many widely publicized
concerts and events including the Los Angeles debut of
the legendary Iranian singer Marzieh. In 1994 the family
moved to the US, where Pourya continued his musical studies,
obtaining a B.A. in violin and vocal performance with
a minor in composition.
Over the years, Pourya has developed his own style of
performance by bringing together classical techniques
with traditional Iranian music. Currently he is working
toward his second degree at the University of California,
Berkeley. |
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Ramin Zoufonoun -
Persian Tuned Piano
Ramin was born to a family of musicians in Tehran. His strength
and primary interest is in the area of improvisation on the
Persian-tuned piano, and the tar. He owes much of his knowledge
of Persian modal system (radif) to his father and mentor, Mahmoud
Zoufonoun. He studied tar with Mahmoud Zoufonoun, Hossein Alizadeh
and Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Ramin has studied music theory and
harmony with Anna Pokleswski and has also explored possibilities
within the realm of electronic music.
Ramin has been performing in numerous cities across the United
States as a soloist and as a member of traditional Iranian and
cross-cultural ensembles. He also appears on several recordings
and frequently shares his knowledge and experience as a guest
lecturer/ performer at various educational institutions. |
Mahour Mellat Parast -
Tar
Mahour Mellat Parast was born in 1973 in Iran. He grew up in
a music loving family, where his father was a musician, composer
and a player of Tar, Setar, Piano and Turkish Tar. He started
playing Tar at the age of 14, under the supervision of his father
and in 1989, he was awarded the first rank Tar player in the
Province of Gilan, Iran. Mahour also joined the Oshagh musical
group at the age of 16, as their youngest player and took part
in many concerts with that group throughout Iran. After his
admission to Sharif University, he moved to Tahran.
At that time, along with his academic studies in Industrial
Engineering, he practiced the themes of Persian music (RADIF)
under the supervision of Houshang Zarif, a renowned Tar player
and instructor, from 1993-1997. He also became familiar with
the style of many Tar players, including Jalil Shahnaz and Farhang
Sharif. Visit Mahour's
website! |
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