Musical duo Siyavash Doostkhah and Greta Kelly have generously offered to support Uki Refugee Project by donating their time to play an exciting concert next week.
Performing Persian mystical music juxtaposed with modern electronica creating a rich, contemporary zeitgeist, Zemzemeh – Siyavash Doostkhah and Greta Kelly – explore sufi poetry and music of Iran through acoustic traditions infused with concepts of love and harmony.
Their work also brings issues of contemporary Iran to the fore through rap and electronica, and dance tunes with beats and samples.
Siyavash plays tanbur, an ancient, three-stringed instrument that originated in Khorasan in eastern Iran. Up until 50 years ago you would rarely hear it outside the Zekr or Djamm devotional gatherings of the Kurdish Sufis. The unique strumming patterns elicit thoughts of a bubbling stream, birds singing, horses galloping; reflecting the natural environment of the tanbur.
Conversely, Greta’s shah kaman is one of the most modern Persian instruments. Based on the ancient spike-fiddle, kamanche, the shah kaman was developed by Australian luthier, Peter Biffin in collaboration with Kayhan Kalhor, master of the Persian kamancheh – It’s five playing strings, seven sympathetic strings and a unique cone that acts as a resonator gives it a haunting resonance.
Zemzemeh augments these acoustic instruments with analogue and digital synthesisers, theremini (a digital theremin), violin, bass infused beats, looping and multi-effects to give a new interpretation of the ancient poetry.
Zemzemeh will play for the Uki Refugee Project next week – the Uki Refugee Project believes that no matter where we come from or how we got here, everyone needs a safe place to call home. The advocacy and education group hosts regular friendship visits with refugees and asylum seekers coming to stay in the Tweed Valley and helps to settle refugees into the community when families and individuals decide to make the Tweed their home.
The Zemzemeh concert will be held on November 30 at 7pm, at the Holy Trinity Church, Uki.
Tickets can be purchased at: events.humanitix.com/zemzemeh.
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