Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian - Iranian Kurdish traditional tanbur player

Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian - Iranian Kurdish traditional tanbur player

who recently released his debut album "Songs of Horaman" (LP/CS) on Radio Khiyaban.

You can hear Mostafa's full album here:

https://radiokhiyaban.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-horaman

And some words from his friend and de-facto tour manager and booker Valentin Portron: "Mostafa proposes to play for about an hour, half a repertoire of the tanbur lute, an epic and millenary music which originated in Iranian Kurdistan in a syncretic religion called Ahl e Haqq or Yarsanism. This people still exists in the region of Kermanshah in the west of Iran, and is distinguished by the wearing of a moustache for the men, and the sacredness of the tanbur, an ancient instrument of more than 5000 years which has a sacred character. This music was unknown to the general public until about sixty years ago, the Yarsans being very secretive and reluctant to divulge their mystique to the general public. The technique of this instrument is distinguished by a very spectacular right hand playing called shôr or roll, somewhat similar to some flamenco techniques."

"As a complement, Mostafa proposes to play part of the concert with another instrument whose technique he deepens, the setâr. This instrument, smaller and more recent than the tanbur, is mostly used in classical Persian music, especially by mystics, often played solo or accompanied by a zarb or tombak. Mostafa's major influence in this field is the late master Ahmad Ebadi. This music has various aspects and is characterized by a rather soft and dreamy sound, creating an atmosphere consistent with the tanbur. Mostafa likes to play sitting on a carpet, or on a chair if it is more suitable. After spending hours listening to him in his father's tanbur shop, sitting comfortably on a Persian rug, I have to say that few things in this world have so disconnected me from any material reality. This is a journey of the soul... a real one."