Download Daroogheh

Download Dayeh Dayeh

Download Robot

Download Az Gol Ta Gol

The Golhā (’Flowers of Persian Song and Music’) comprise 1400 radio programs consisting of approximately 886 hours of programs broadcast over a period of 23 years - from 1956 through 1979.1 These programs are made up of literary commentary with the declamation of poetry, which is sung with musical accompaniment, interspersed with solo musical pieces. For the 23 years that these programs were broadcast, all the most eminent literary critics, famous radio announcers, singers, composers and musicians in Iran were invited to participate in them. The programs were not only exemplars of excellence in the sphere of music but highly ornate and refined examples of literary expression, making use of a repertoire of over two hundred classical and modern Persian poets, thus setting literary and musical standards that are still looked up to with admiration in Iran today and referred to as an encyclopedia of Persian music and poetry.
–
The ‘Green Leaf’ (Barg-e sabz) programs featured 312 programs each ranging from 20-45 minutes, consisting solely of declamation of mystical poetry from the great classical poets, followed by the formal singing (āvāz) of their poetry, without any popular rhythmical songs or ballads (tasnif / tarāna). In terms of profundity of Persian Sufi themes, erotic and theo-erotic images and ideas, the ‘Green Leaf’ programs comprise a veritable treasury of classical Persian poetry; as a collection, the Barg-e sabz programs form a kind of classical ‘Canon’ of Persian mystical song and verse that have yet to be rivaled in their wide-ranging literary and musical diversity, in arrangement of theosophical and erotic topics, and in tasteful selection of poets and poetry.

Each program opened with the following mystical verses from the famous tarji’band of Hātef Esfahāni (d. 1198/1783-4): “Open your eyes so you may see the epiphany of the Beloved displayed upon each wall and door. When you behold this vision, you will declare: ‘He alone is Lord in all the land’.” (Chesh bogshā keh jilva-e deldār dar tajalli’st az dar u divār. In tamāshā, chu bingari, gu’i: laysa fi’l-dār ghayrahu diyyār).

–

It is my belief that Persian music owes a huge debt to Dāvud Pirniā since at a crucial moment in the history of Iran he effectively rescued our music from perdition. If it wasn’t for his efforts, Arab music, Turkish music, or Western pop music would have all but drowned out and obliterated Persian music. In establishing the Golhā programs, Mr Pirniā created a sanctuary where Persian music could survive and flourish amongst all these conflicting and corrupting influences, so that even today the Golhā programs are still cherished among the populace at large.
—Shajarian

——————

Collaged from Jane Lewisohn’s SOAS paper Flowers of Persian Song and Music: Davud Pirniā and the Genesis of the Golhā Programs [pdf]

Visit Radio Golha online

——————

Download (my favourite) Barg-e Sabz CD featuring:

Barge Sabz 28 (tracks 1, 2, 3) (BEST!)
Khanandeh: Farah
Navazandegan: Parviz Yahaghi, Jalil Shahnaz, Salim Farzan, Naser Eftetah, Jahangir Malek
Ashaar: Ataar, Molavi, Eraghi
Dastgah: Segah
Gooyandeh: Roshanak

Barge Sabz 63 (tracks 4, 5, 6)
Khanandeh: Banan
Navazandegan: Habiballah Badiei, Jalil Shahnaz, Naser Eftetah
Ashaar: Ataar, Hafez, Eraghi
Dastgah: Avaze Bayat Esfahan
Gooyandeh: Roshanak

Barge Sabz 19 (tracks 7, 8 )
Khanandeh: Taaj Esfahani
Navazandegan: Jalil Shahnaz, Hasan Kasaei, Naser Eftetah
Ashaar: Ataar, Eraghi, Hafez
Dastgah: Segah

Farmarz Payvar – Santoor
Houshang Zarif – Tar
Rahmatollah Badiyi (Badi’i) – Kamancheh
Mohammad Esmai’li (Esmai’li) – Zarb
Khatereh Parvaneh (who also passed away somewhat recently) – Vocals

Download here

Shohreh at her very very best. Nine perfect tracks mixed together to make instant party.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download here.

The aforementioned re-release of the classic Pari Zanganeh Kanoon recording of folk songs done in classic Pari Zanganeh style. Really amazing songs, really high quality digitization. Favourites: Rashid Khan and Ghad Boland.

Download here

Squishy, new-agey, synthed avant-garde persian music with a vaguely “island” twist. Traces of deconstructed folk songs sprinkled throughout (e.g. Mastom Mastom in “Desert Butterflies”). I can’t do these bloggy musical descriptions, just download and hear for yourself. It is really something special.

Download here

Older Dolat-Shahi stuff here

I like this album so much I actually paid for it! Wow!

Refined and gherti quasi cluster-kraftwerk-synthy-new-agey songs, each with several lives and all from the man who brought us Khodayeh Asemoonha. Really good.

Download here (fixed!)

Nemat Darman

Baba Yaga is the name given to the one-album collaboration between Ingo Werner and Nemat Darman (the previous Baba Yaga album does not feature Darman) with the latter handling percussion, santoor and setar and the former on synth, clavinet and pianos. Collage contains two long spacey kraut tracks, the first of which contains a strong Persian presence that resembles Dariush Dolat-Shahi et al but is considerably less refined and complex…which can of course be nice too…great stuff.

————

Download from Mutant Sounds

Dolat-Shahi studied classical Persian music at the Tehran Conservatory before leaving Iran for the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music and eventually earning a Ph.D from the legendary Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center where he studied under Mario Davidovsky (listen 1 & 2), Vladimir Ussachevsky, Alice Shields amongst others.

———–

Otashgah: Place of Fire (1986) — Download Here
Electronic Music, Tar & Setar (1985) — Download Here (Includes interview with Dolat-Shahi)