Homay and the Mastan Group concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Founded in 2005 by Parvaz Homay, The Mastan Group has become the prominent – traditional Persian music - ensemble from Iran.
Homay is part of a very select group of Musicians who can write his own lyrics, compose, sing, produce and mix his music in Iran. His ensemble consists of seven other highly proficient Iranian musicians.
These young spiritual and talented Artists transmit their message of truth and unity through novel lyrics and music. They achieve this by infusing traditional Persian folkloric music with groundbreaking interpretations of Persian music and poetry.
Following the paths of the greatest Sufi masters Rumi and Hafez, The Mastan Group encourage its audiences to live consciously. They also share the idea that we should all strive for creative lives by flourishing love and peace from within.
Rhythmic, uplifting and mesmerizing, The Mastan Group plays traditional Persian music in a way that has never been heard before.
LA TIMES Writes On Homay And The Mastan Group At Walt Disney Concert Hall
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-homay5-2008jul05,0,3916120.story
Homay And The Mastan Group At Walt Disney Concert Hall
The seven-member ensemble was founded by Parvaz Homay, a young man (still in his 20s) carrying on the Persian tradition ofchameh soraei, in which a musician composes, writes his own lyrics and sings. His ensemble comprises handpicked experts on the customary Persian instrumentation, including the four-stringed tar, the reedy, flute-like ney, the upright fiddle called kamanche and the multistringed hammered zither, santoor.
Calling their performance "A Forbidden Journey" -- also the name of the ensemble's latest album -- Homay and his colleagues, inspired by the Sufi poets Rumi and Hafez, aimed to reestablish the old Persian practice of creating music that can make the listener reach a higher level of consciousness. Their nearly three-hour performance at Disney Hall achieved this effect via Homay's heartfelt lyrics and groundbreaking music, which builds on the older folklorical styles with bold new structures, rhythms and melodic schemes.
These 18 pieces were performed in exhilarating style, with each player functioning as both soloist and ensemble member. The pieces generally were worked out in formats that accommodated substantial personal interpretation by the individual players.
The opening "Man az Jahani Degaram" presented the basic outline of the evening's works, which were characterized by lengthy elaborations on the traditional song-shape. Other pieces used a set-up of introductory duet by the vocalist with various instruments -- such as the lute-like oud or the tombak. The entire group would then play a more orchestrated version based on themes and/or rhythms alluded to in the preliminary duet.
The modernity of the group's approach to this mainly non-harmonic music (i.e., it's not built on chords) became even more evident by its emphasis on a textural harmony that resulted from the blending of tones emanating from the particular instrumentation Homay had selected.
While many of these pieces were of extended length and of unpredictable pattern and pulse (which created a few amusingly failed attempts by the audience to clap along), they were nevertheless highly engaging and often even quite simply presented. The words of revered Persian poets Parvin Etesami and Saghir Esfahani were interpreted by Homay himself in a high-pitched, richly nuanced vocal style as he conducted the band with bold strokes on twin clay drums.
These were mesmerizing performances that produced a euphoric goodwill in the listener, a feeling that lingered long after departure from the concert hall.
