IRAN-RowanStorm

2009-12-06T00:19:00.006+03:30

A wild time of it this Fall . . . three hours in the Tehran airport . . . with visa in hand, was not allowed into the country. This was more than one month ago and I am still reeling from the disappointment and shock of this super-humiliation and extremely sad turn of events.

The good that came of it is that my dear musician friend came from Tehran and we worked on music projects which are in the process of crystallizing. We presented a wonderful concert in Istanbul and now in London, I am delighted with another wonderful concert this past Friday with the great wind-instrument player Khosrow Soltani who came from Austria for the event.
In the middle now of a two-day workshop I am teaching for Frame Drums . . . I am afraid I may have crossed wires in my students' brains . . . so much information I am spewing out!

Also had a lovely interview with a lovely person here in London, please see:
http://sixpillarstopersia.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/the-middle-east-and-the-frame-drum/

. . . and my schedule, with one more weekend to go in Athens before returning to the US:
http://www.rowanstorm.com

thanks for reading this, wishing all the best to all,
Rowan

2009-11-16T02:41:00.005+03:30

2009-10-20T22:20:00.002+03:30

Dearest Friends,

Writing this now from the magnificent city of Istanbul, Turkey. The mixture of cultures here is truly dazzling and it is a great honour to find myself here again and to be preparing for some music programs coming up.

Here are program notes which I wrote for the second of two Carpet Concerts at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles. Both programs were presented in an overall effort to bring some understanding to Western audiences about the sadly misunderstood culture of Iran.

Photos will be added to this post as soon as possible.

wishing all the best to all, Rowan

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

26 March 2009
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California

CARPET CONCERT in celebration of NOROOZ, the Iranian New Year

Morteza Yadollahi - tar
Faraz Minooei - santour
Rowan Storm - vocal, dayereh, daff

in conjunction with
EXPLORING THE OTHER: CONTEMPORARY IRAN
by international photojournalist Iason Athanasiadis

Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM)
5814 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles . California 90036
http://www.cafam.org

Thursday 21 February 2009
9:00 pm

'Strangers in a new culture see only what they know ... '
Maryna Hrushetska, Director of CAFAM, source unknown

Dearest Friends,

We warmly welcome you to this evening's Norooz Carpet Concert, and wish you all a glorious New Year! We express our deep thanks to the Craft and Folk Art Museum for the opportunity to share our music and love for the traditional culture of Iran, and also to so many supporters who have enabled these events to take place.

As we in the northern hemisphere witness delicious changes of renewal all around us, it is with great joy that we share in the ancient Iranian celebration of the New Year with great numbers of people throughout the world. As the exact moment of the March Equinox proceeds around the globe and marks the beginning of the New Year, we can sense being part of a much larger whole as the light returns, bringing promise and possibility. For this New Opportunity, may we take to heart the basic three-fold teaching of the ancient Zoroastrians, and to hold those thoughts, speak those words, and do those actions which promote harmony and happiness for all.

Our music ensemble this evening was formed through our study with the great Master of classical Persian music, Mohammad Reza Lotfi. While each of us has learned from many musicians and sources, we are deeply grateful for the understanding we each have been privileged to gain from association with this singular talent. Mr Lotfi continues to make vital contributions to the continuity and purity of the magnificent ancient art form of Persian music, while giving of his knowledge tirelessly to his music students in his school in Tehran. It is my profound honour to have studied and performed many concerts with Mr Lotfi from 2000 to 2006, and I wish to convey my love and appreciation for the patience and care with which he has supported and guided me.

We trust that you will discover a new perspective on the world through sitting shoelessly on the carpeted floor with us this evening, and that the bags so kindly donated for your shoes will continue to be useful. We invite you to sit back, relax, and fly with us on our Carpet Concert journey!

ba eshgh (with love),

Rowan Storm

Program

A
Santour and Dayereh

compositions by Faraz Minooei:

- Pishdaramad in Abu Ata

- Chaharmezrab in Bayate Kord

- Tasnif:
Na An Shiram ~ Rumi (13th century)
I am not that lion who can fight with the enemy
For me it is enough to overcome myself
I am a child, whose Master is Love
... who keeps me from growing up uninformed

Dayereh solo, Rowan Storm

Tar and Dayereh, featuring Morteza Yadollahi, tar

- Improvisation in Rast Panjgah in various time signatures

Intermission

B
Ensemble, Shur and Esfahan

SHUR
- Pishdaramad ~ Ali-Akbar Shahnazi (1897 – 1985)
Shahnazi was a master of the tar and the son of Mirza Hossein Gholi, one of the two brothers who classified the Radif in the mid-19th century. With frequent modulations between modal pathways, this is a classic composition for students of Persian music theory.

- Tasnif ~ set to music by Faraz Minooei:
Gedayeh Bakhshesh ~ Rumi (13th century)
If this life inside me stops, the One who is
running the world will turn it on again ...
If the Winter destroys my garden, the Spring will bring new life
Since I cannot find myself, how can I find the Truth?

- Tar solo, Morteza Yadollahi

- Two gushehs from the Vocal Radif of Mahmud Karimi:

- Bozorg ~ Hafez (14th century)
The regretful pious man who stopped Drinking
again has a strong desire for Wine ...
O wise person! Take care to avoid choices which bring regret

- Dobeyti ~ Saadi (13th century)
In the night I am weeping that I am separated from my Love,
With the softest of voices so that no one will know my secret ...
But still the sound reaches the ear of every human in the world ...

- Tasnif ~ set to music by Derviş Köçek Mustafa Dede (17th century)
Part of a music suite for the Turkish Whirling Dervish ritual, this composition has a rhythmic cycle of 28 beats to the measure known as Devri Kebir, or 'big cycle'. Rumi relocated to Turkey from Iran in the 13th century; this composition dates from 400 years later and was first recorded in the mid-20th century. Over the centuries, the original Persian language of Rumi's poetry became unrecognizable for Iranians due to its Turkish accent. An intention of this evening's interpretation is to bring the pronunciation back to its original form, possibly for the first time in hundreds of years.

Nagahan Anbar Feshan ~ Rumi (13th century)
This special morning, suddenly the wind of Love
scattered the aroma of amber and musk
Flower-colours bloom against the vast green of fields
Hundreds of nightingales and their sound ...
Since Shams of Tabriz declared the Morning of Love,
Now the Seekers of Truth can reach the essence of the Heart of hearts!

ESFAHAN

- Santour solo, Faraz Minooei

- Tasnif:
Seh Kas Ley Donya, Kurdish traditional
There are three things in this world that never change:
Love, the river, and the sound of the heart ...
You are the tree of tangerine, I am a lemon tree

- Robab solo, Morteza Yadollahi

- Tasnif:
Al Menneto Lelah ~ Hafez (14th century)
Thank God that the door of the Wine Tavern is open!
This time the Wine is True Love, not just imaginary
Let us celebrate this Divine Love that inspires the
King to kiss the foot of the servant!

Notes:

The translations above are intended to provide a basic idea for the Persian poetry of the songs

Pishdaramad ~ 'pre-introduction': an instrumental ensemble piece, either improvised or composed, most often with a slow tempo of two, four or six beats to the measure.

Chaharmezrab ~ 'four strokes': either improvised or composed, with a rhythmic theme repeated many times. Most often the chaharmezrab is performed with a fast tempo of six beats to the measure, demonstrating technical virtuosity.

Tasnif ~ song

Gusheh ~ 'corner': mostly non-metrical melodic phrases with an average duration of one or two minutes, codified into twelve modal affinities which together form the repertory and theory of Persian classical music, known as the Radif.

Abu Ata, Bayate Kord, Rast Panjgah, Shur, Esfahan: names of some of the twelve modal affinities from the theory and repertory of Persian classical music known as the Radif.

(Please see section below, Persian Classical Music.)

NOROOZ

As the Winter surrenders to Spring's fresh green shoots of new life, this period is among the happiest of times not only for Iranians, but also for people throughout the entire Middle East, reaching from the Balkans to Northwestern China, Lebanon to Central Asia. While 21 March is recognized everywhere as the first day of Spring, for many all over the world it is also the first day of the New Year, known as Norooz.

While the Norooz tradition is rooted in the Iranian psyche for untold ages and is associated with the Zoroastrian religion, today it is a cherished holiday for people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds who are united through Iranian traditions. With its universal appeal, and also since both occasions are also the most important times for family gatherings, Norooz is similar to our Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Jewish, Zoroastrian, Armenian and Turkish Iranians, Kurds, Afghanis and Central Asians celebrate the Norooz holiday with the same enthusiasm and sense of belonging.

While there are many rituals and celebrations associated with Norooz, the most integral part of every household during the two-week celebration is the Haftseen table. 'Haft' means 'seven' and 'seen' is a name for the 's' sound in Persian language. The Haftseen table displays seven symbols whose names begin with the 's' sound, and which are believed to usher in prosperity and good luck for the coming year. Three of these symbols represent the earthly world, three for the conceptual world, and one forges the connection between both worlds.

Symbols for the material world are grass, egg, and stone (or a coin); for the heavenly world, candle, mirror, and fish in water. Although contemporary Haftseen tables substitute vinegar, the original symbol for unity between both worlds is wine. Prevalent in classical Persian poetry, the metaphor of wine has several meanings, including actual wine, spiritual understanding, and Love, whether it be human or Divine.

The chance for renewal that comes with Spring and the turning of the earth is an opportunity to balance our relationship with both the material world and the world of the spirit. We at the human level can steady our feet on the ground (stone) while reaching the energy of light (candle), through being fully present in the moment and drinking deeply of the Wine of Understanding.

CARPET CONCERT

The name 'Carpet Concert' could have come only to the mind of someone who did not grow up in Eastern culture, since for thousands of years the implicit context for music and life in general has been distinguished by sitting on a carpeted floor. Without another frame of reference, the elements of our native environment are 'just the way things are'. Being creatures of habit, we cannot see the forest from the trees. As visitors in a foreign culture, we recognize some distinctions which are invisible for the locals, while other elements pass us by completely.

A 'Carpet Concert' could be defined simply as a musical event where people leave their shoes at the door and sit on the carpeted floor. Consistent with a lifestyle distinction functioning since the 'dawn of civilization' more than 5,000 years ago, a clear line is drawn between the external world, and the interior, private world.

Returning home after a busy day outside, shoes carry dust and the energy of worldly concerns. By removing shoes before entering the private space, we not only maintain the cleanliness of the household, but also change gears internally. The gesture sends a signal to the human spirit that we are shifting to an attitude of vulnerability and receptivity, enabling deep renewal from the cares of the outer world within the sanctified inner environment.

Regardless of the weather outside, in Eastern cultures people remove their shoes at the door before entering the living space. This gesture is such an integral part of their culture that its deeper significance is most often overshadowed by habit; it would simply be unthinkable to cross the threshold before removing one's shoes.

The most practical reasons for the no-shoes policy are cleanliness, respect, and care for the floor, since in many parts of the world today the floor is where people sit and sleep. While floor coverings range from the simplest to the luxurious, for untold ages the most essential and treasured household furnishings have been the carpets, woven by hand primarily by women. Carpets are so highly prized that a woman's rank in traditional society is associated with her skill as a carpet weaver.

In simpler dwellings most activities are conducted within the same space, unlike our modern households whose rooms are designated and furnished for specific uses. While tables, chairs and other seating elements have become fashionable today in urban centers throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans, even the previous urban generation slept and sat - by choice - primarily on the carpeted floor in all phases of day-to-day living. In rural areas this tradition is still widely maintained, not only by nomadic tribes but also settled populations.

During my travels over the years throughout rural Turkey and Iran, irrespective of the means of the household, most of the homes I have visited are furnished solely with carpets covering the entire floor and large pillows leaning against the walls. At mealtimes a large cloth is spread on the carpeted floor, and families come together to share their meals picnic style. At night, the same area becomes a bedroom, with mattresses or simple blankets spread out. Families and friends gather for celebrations including poetry and music, colleagues meet for business arrangements, food is prepared, children play; all manner of activities take place in the same multipurpose space while all are sitting on the carpeted floor.

For untold generations throughout the Middle East, the home environment has been sustained by close contact with the patterns, textures, colours, tales and mysteries woven into the carpets. Sitting directly on a carpet brings information to the eyes and tactile sensation to the hands and feet, which are missed while feet are trapped in shoes, perched on a chair over that same carpet. While the body discovers new ways to find comfort, the line of sight while sitting on the floor results in a world view which is starkly different than the perspective from a chair.

CLASSICAL PERSIAN POETRY

The spiritual foundation of classical Persian music - and to a great extent of all Persian culture - is poetry. It is difficult for those of us who grew up in Western culture to grasp the profound, majestic position of honour which is occupied by poetry in Iranian society. This passion for poetry is not confined to the highly educated; even less-educated and illiterate Iranians can often recite lengthy works of favourite poets from memory. A traditional gathering of Iranians most often includes the joyful narration of their evocative, beloved poetry.

A primary reason for the ultimate significance of poetry in Iranian culture is that its rhythm and content provide nourishment for every moment of every day. For any circumstance in which an Iranian might find him or herself, an appropriate line of poetry can soothe, enlighten, teach, guide, encourage, inspire, stimulate or motivate.

The basic nature of classical Persian poetry is profoundly humanitarian and spiritual. Intimately associated with Sufism, poetry in the Iranian sphere can be described as a means for spiritual sustenance and growth. Believed to be much older than Islam's conquest of Iran in the 7th century AD, Sufism is recognized as the embodiment of its mystical dimension. The essence of the Sufi path, and a primary theme of Persian poetry, is the struggle to transcend attachment to the material world and the individual selfhood, in order to reach the direct experience of Unity with the Divine. Sufism leads the way beyond outer appearances, and strives to purify the heart of everything other than Divine Love, known in Persian poetry as the Friend or the Beloved.

Love stories within the realm of human experience set the stage for the Love Affair with the Divine. Persian mystical poetry attempts to express the inexpressible through the use of allegory. A fundamental theme is the pain of separation from the Beloved, and longing for reunion. The seeker of Truth calls on the giver of wine to bring a deep cup, and to fill it with the means to ease this pain. In Persian poetry the Winebearer is another metaphor for Divine Love, and Wine represents spiritual understanding. Drinking deeply of this Wine not only soothes the sadness of disconnection, but makes possible the selfless, enraptured state of Reunion with the Divine.

CLASSICAL PERSIAN MUSIC

While the mysticism of Persian classical music is rooted in the poetry, the foundational theory and repertory of the music itself is known as the Radif, a complex system which was organized and codified in the second half of the 19th century, collected from much older musical repertory throughout Iran by two brothers, Mirza Abdollah and Mirza Hossein Gholi. Along with Western classical music, Persian music draws from many sources including music and songs associated with specific occupations.

The Radif is composed of approximately 400 brief, mostly non-metrical melodic phrases known as gusheh (a word meaning 'corner'), each with a name and an average duration of one or two minutes. These gushehs are classified into 12 modal affinities, and together as the integrated whole of the Radif, share some characteristics with the modal art music of India, Turkey and the Arab world. Since music in these areas has a direct relationship with ancient musical practices whose intervals are more closely related to the proportions of the natural harmonic series, none of these related families of music can be played accurately with the tempered scale of the piano.

The establishment of the 12-equal-step tempered scale in 18th century Europe was a brilliant innovation which introduced many significant benefits, including a standard for tuning which made it possible for musicians and orchestras from different areas to play together, as well as the creation of various forms of harmony. Singers with varying vocal ranges could be accommodated, as pitches in the tempered scale can be easily transposed. Along with such conveniences, however, it is notable that a great deal of the essential, archetypal geometry consistent with patterns of growth in nature, and which to a large degree is still present in Eastern music, has been lost in most of Western music.

In contrast to the Western approach to art which typically promotes the expression of the 'self' of the artist, within Persian and Eastern cultures generally, the artist strives to become a vessel through which the elements of the ancient art form are manifested. Within these parameters, individual expression emerges.

The ancient manner of music education in Iran involves a one-to-one apprenticeship and transmission between Master and student. While the first music lesson for most instruments in Western culture usually involves learning to read music, the emphasis in Persian music - and in Persian culture generally - is memorization. The Master plays a phrase, or gusheh, and the student attempts to internalize and duplicate it until it is mastered. While in recent years the music education system in Iran has become increasingly dependent on written music, the goal remains to commit the repertory of the Radif to memory.

Memorization promotes a deeply personal attitude and performance of music. While musicians in the Western symphony orchestra rely on exterior music notation during performances, Persian musicians rely on their own integration of the substance of the music.

The first major accomplishment in attaining mastery of classical Persian music is the memorization of the entire Radif, which depending on the mood of the musician, could occupy between five and six hours to play in its entirety. Over the many years required to memorize the exact melodies and cadence of each gusheh, emotions begin to emerge in personal interpretation and improvisation, within the parameters of the Radif.

The practice of internalizing poetry as well as the Radif bestows the Persian musician with a profound, impersonal resource from which to draw for personal expression. Traditionally, the Master of classical Persian music does not know in advance what he or she will perform in a concert. In a flash of inspiration, a poem comes to mind and heart, and related elements of the Radif emerge. At the heart of the music is the mysticism of the poetry, which drives the improvisation in response to the circumstances of the moment, including the emotion and idea of the performer, mood of the audience, the weather, time of day, etc.

The performers in tonight's concert are brought together through their training in this method with the great Master of classical Persian music, Mohammad Reza Lotfi (please see introductory letter).

The most authoritative version of the Vocal Radif is that of the late Mahmud Karimi, who chose to set excerpts from classical Persian poetry to the gushehs for various reasons, including their philosophical and rhythmic content. In addition, the memorization of the lines of poetry is understood as a tool for anchoring the melodic content of the Radif in the psyche.

INSTRUMENTS

Santour
Today's santour has 72 strings with a range of three octaves. The santour is constructed in the form of a shallow trapezoidal box, most often from walnut wood. Special lightweight mallets held between the index and middle fingers are used to strike the strings. An ancient instrument, the santour makes its first appearance in Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions in the 5th century BC. Variations of the santour have been played for centuries throughout Iran, Iraq, India, China, Armenia, Turkey and Greece. More recent descendants of the santour are found in other areas of Asia, throughout Europe and also in American folk music in the form known as hammered dulcimer. The santour is one of the ancestors of the clavichord, harpsichord and the piano.

Tar
The tar is a stringed instrument carved out of mulberry wood with a thin animal skin membrane for its face, producing a remarkable sonority. With six strings grouped in pairs, the tar is played using a metal or ox-horn pick, and is considered one of the most difficult instruments to master, requiring a very high level of dexterity. While variations are found in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the tar is a uniquely Iranian instrument, evolving into its present form towards the end of the nineteenth century from much older instruments. The word tar means 'string' in Persian language, and the names for both the instruments 'guitar' and 'sitar' are derived from the Persian word tar.

Robab
A member of the lute family, the type of robab in this evening's performance is found in Afghanistan, Iran, Kurdistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan and India, and dates from the 7th century AD. The robab is made from a single piece of mulberry wood and has a membrane on its face made from goatskin. The robab is played with a pick, and has several types of strings, including three melody, three drone and twelve sympathetic strings.

Dayereh
With at least 5,000 years of history, according to the records frame drums were played in ancient times primarily by women. The dayereh and daff are members of this large family of hand drums, of which the tambourine is also a member. Both the dayereh and daff have metal rings mounted along the interior of their frames, and traditionally have animal skins as their membranes, while today plastic skins are also used. The dayereh is traditionally a woman's instrument with many variations found throughout Iran, Azerbaijan and Central Asia. The dayerehs which are played in this evening's performance are new designs by Rowan Storm and are now in production by Cooperman Drum Company in Vermont.

Daff
The form of daff being played in today's performance developed in the context of the spiritual ceremonies of Kurdish dervishes in Iran and Iraq. Due to the similarity of sounds produced by the metal rings while the instruments are shaken, it is likely that both the dayereh and daff evolved in parallel with the grain sieve.

BIOGRAPHIES

Morteza Yadollahi
Born in Abadan, Iran, Morteza Yadollahi started playing the Flute at age 8. He migrated to U.S. at age 15 and a few years later met Master M. Varzi and started learning the theory of Persian classical music. In 1990, Morteza started learning Tar under the supervision of Master A. Rahmanipour. Few years later he met the grand Master M.R. Lotfi and continued learning the Radif (Persian modal scales) and advanced Tar techniques. Morteza has performed in UCLA, USC, Shrine Auditorium, and other places in U.S., Canada and Europe. He has composed several songs that have been performed in concerts and one is being used in a movie called “The Coup”. He is the co-founder of both Seda and Najva ensembles. Morteza lives in Irvine and works full time as an Aerospace Engineer.

Faraz Minooei
Born in Tehran, Faraz Minooei began playing the santour at the age nine. While studying with Mr. Behnam Mehrabi he found a deep spiritual desire to study music, an 'unexplainable souvenir from the eternal truth'. A graduate from San Francisco State University, Faraz is a Nagle Scholar, and the only World/Jazz music major in Northern California, with Persian santour as his primary instrument. As a fulltime musician, Faraz is active in the fields of performance, composition, ethnomusicology, and teaching. He has been fortunate to continue his education in music - as a 'never ending project' - with master musicians such as Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Hossein Omoumi, Royal Hartigan, and Hafez Modirzadeh. He is now continuing the path of music in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology as a graduate student in University of California, Irvine, while receiving the Graduate Diversity Fellowship. In late 2007 and early 2008, he has been invited by UCI, UCLA, and UCSC and the Society of Ethnomusicology to give lectures and demonstrate the Iranian music on santour. Recipient of many scholarships and grants such as the Meet the Composer, he has a passion for understanding the intricacies of the human mind and the world around him and refers to 'thinking' as his hobby. www.farazminooei.com.

Rowan Storm
Originally from New York, Rowan Storm is recognized internationally for her drum workshops and performances of traditional Middle Eastern singing and percussion instruments. From 2000 to 2006 Rowan studied and performed dayereh and daff in concert tours with the great Master of Classical Persian music, Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Recently Rowan began studying Persian vocal technique with Maryam Hooshvar, a student of Afsaneh Rasaei. Rowan has been living in Greece since 1993, where she is a leader in the contemporary movement to embrace shared Oriental heritage. Her performance venues include New York City's Lincoln Center, concert halls and conservatories throughout Europe, ancient amphitheaters of Greece and Cyprus, Istanbul's Reshid Rey Concert Hall, as well as countless Carpet Concerts throughout the world. Recently Rowan spent three months traveling throughout Iran, deepening her understanding of Persian classical music, the role of women in ancient, sacred percussion traditions, as well as the evolution of Western culture based on countless elements from the East. While in Iran Rowan traveled to Kurdistan to play daff together with women dervishes in their ceremonies.

Rowan teaches Frame Drum workshops throughout the world with her unique Essential Frame Drum Method, including the annual week-long Middle East Music and Dance Camp in the magnificent Redwood forest of Mendocino California:
http://www.middleeastcamp.com.

Rowan's signature frame drum is an updated version of the traditional Iranian dayereh, now in production at Cooperman Drum Company:

ROWAN STORM DAYEREH
Artist Innovation Series by
Cooperman Drum Company
http://www.cooperman.com/coopermanaiseries.php

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

SoCiArts Productions
http://www.sociarts.com

Exploring the Other and its programs are sponsored by:
Anonymous Donor, Hamid and Fereshteh Shafipour, Vida Yaghmai and Kourosh Gohar, Amir Angha, Southern California Edison, Moshen Ghazizadeh, Soheila Kolahi, Shari Rezai, and Katy Saei

With additional support from:
DCA, City of Los Angeles, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The Annenberg Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Carpets provided by
Dr. Khosrow Sobhe of SOBCO International Ltd. and founder and president:
http://www.RugIdea.com

Uzbek Souzani silk embroidered panel provided by
The Silk Camel
silkcamel@earthlink.net

Persian sweets, tea service and Haftseen table designed and donated by
Akhtar Motamedi

Shoe bags donated by
Accurate Flannel Bag Company, New York,
http://www.accuratebags.com

Rowan Storm's signature Frame Drum:
ROWAN STORM DAYEREH
Artist Innovation Series by
Cooperman Drum Company:
http://www.cooperman.com/coopermanaiseries.php

Arash Sharifi
Diana Sanandaji
Fred Baron
Ghasem Toulani
Janmohammadi Family of Tehran
Jacquie Theis and the Bridgettes
Khalifeh Rahmeh and the woman dervishes
and their families of Kurdistan Iran
Laale Ghahreman
Maryam Hooshvar
Mehdi Sarreshtedari
Mohammad Reza Lotfi
Razi Family
... and countless additional friends and friendly strangers ...

Photography by Chuck Gardner
www.chuckgardner.com
and Arisa Kim
www.arisakim.com

Graphic design by Ridenour Communications
janice@ridenour.biz

2009-10-20T21:25:00.002+03:30

Dear Friends,

Here are program notes which I wrote for the first of two Carpet Concerts at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles. Both programs were presented in an overall effort to bring some understanding to Western audiences about the sadly misunderstood culture of Iran.

Our friend and Carpet Angel Dr Khosrow Sobhe has added some photos from
this Carpet Concert and a brief report on his weblog, with the heading:
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Carpet Concert and Persian Rugs in Los Angeles:

http://rugmaster.blogspot.com/

Khosrow Sobhe
SOBCO International Ltd.
http://www.RugIdea.com

Photos will be added to this post as soon as possible.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

21 February 2009
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California

CARPET CONCERT with the
SILK ROAD MUSIC AND DANCE ENSEMBLE

Neil Siegel ~ Persian tar
Robyn Friend ~ dance
Faraz Minooei ~ santur
Rowan Storm ~ vocal, dayereh, daff, dohol

in conjunction with the photography exhibit:

EXLORING THE OTHER: CONTEMPORARY IRAN
by international photojournalist Iason Athanasiadis

Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM)
5814 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles . California 90036
http://www.cafam.org

Saturday 21 February 2009
1:30 pm

'Strangers in a new culture see only what they know ...'
- quote from Maryna Hrushetska,
director of CAFAM, source unknown

Dearest Friends,

We of the Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble warmly welcome you, and express our deep thanks to the Craft and Folk Art Museum for the opportunity to share our deep love for Iran and her most hospitable people and vibrant culture. Since the gifts bestowed on the world by the legacy of Iranian culture are vast and innumerable, our presentation could offer a mere glimpse of the craft, folk and classical art traditions of Iran, as well as ancient scientific contributions which in many ways facilitated the emergence of 'Western' culture. Between the magnificent photographs on display, sumptuous carpets on which we are sitting, delicious Persian treats during intermission, and our music and dance program, we hope that you will leave here today with a different idea about the humanity of this remarkable culture.

We invite you to sit back, relax, and fly with us on our magic Carpet Concert journey!

ba eshgh (with love),

Rowan Storm

CARPET CONCERT

The name 'Carpet Concert' could have come only to the mind of someone who did not grow up in 'Eastern culture', since for thousands of years the implicit context for music and life in general has been distinguished by sitting on a carpeted floor. Without another frame of reference, the things we accept in our native environment are 'just the way things are'. Being creatures of habit, we cannot see the forest from the trees.

Regardless of the weather outside, in Eastern cultures people remove their shoes at the door before entering the living space. This gesture is such an integral part of their culture that its deeper significance is most often overshadowed by habit; it would simply be unthinkable to cross the threshold before removing one's shoes.

The most practical reasons for the no-shoes policy are cleanliness, respect, and care for the floor, since in many parts of the world today the floor is where people sit and sleep. While floor coverings range from the simplest to the luxurious, for untold ages the most essential and treasured household furnishings have been the carpets, woven by hand primarily by women. Carpets are so highly prized that a woman's rank in traditional society is associated with her skill as a carpet weaver.

In simpler dwellings most activities are conducted within the same space, unlike our modern households whose rooms are designated and furnished for specific uses. While tables, chairs and other seating elements have become fashionable today in urban centers throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans, even the previous urban generation slept and sat - by choice - primarily on the carpeted floor in all phases of day-to-day living. In rural areas this tradition is still widely maintained, not only by nomadic tribes but also settled populations.

During my travels to Iranian Kurdistan in 2006, irrespective of the means of the household, most of the homes I visited were furnished solely with carpets covering the entire floor and large pillows leaning against the walls. (Please see photographs below ...) At mealtimes a large cloth is spread on the carpeted floor, and families come together to share their meals picnic style. At night, the same area becomes a bedroom, with mattresses or simple blankets spread out. Families and friends gather for celebrations including poetry and music, colleagues meet for business arrangements, food is prepared, children play; all manner of activities take place in the same multipurpose space while all are sitting on the carpeted floor.

Sitting directly on a carpet brings information to the eyes and tactile sensation to the hands and feet, which are missed while feet are trapped in shoes, perched on a chair over that same carpet. While the body discovers new ways to find comfort, the lower line of sight promotes a dramatically shifted perspective on the world.

For untold generations throughout Iran and surrounding areas, the home environment has been sustained by close contact with the patterns, textures, colours, tales and mysteries woven into the carpets. It might be said that traditional Persian music is the very sound of the carpets themselves, and that the carpets compose a picture of the music.

CLASSICAL PERSIAN POETRY

The spiritual foundation of Classical Persian music - and to a great extent of all Persian culture - is poetry. It is difficult for those of us who grew up in Western culture to grasp the profound, majestic position of honour which is occupied by poetry in Iranian society.

This passion for poetry is not confined to the highly educated; even less-educated and illiterate Iranians can often recite lengthy works of favourite poets from memory. A traditional gathering of Iranians most often includes the joyful narration of their evocative, beloved poetry.

A primary reason for the ultimate significance of poetry in Iranian culture is that its rhythm and content provide nourishment for every moment of every day. For any circumstance in which an Iranian might find him or herself, an appropriate line of poetry can soothe, enlighten, teach, guide, encourage, inspire, stimulate or motivate.

The basic nature of Classical Persian poetry is profoundly humanitarian and spiritual. Intimately associated with Sufism, poetry in the Iranian sphere can be described as a means for spiritual sustenance and growth. Believed to be much older than Islam's conquest of Iran in the 7th century AD, Sufism is recognized as the embodiment of its mystical dimension. The essence of the Sufi path, and a primary theme of Persian poetry, is the struggle to transcend attachment to the material world and the individual selfhood, in order to reach the direct experience of Unity with the Divine. Sufism leads the way beyond outer appearances, and strives to purify the heart of everything other than Divine Love, known in Persian poetry as the Friend or the Beloved.

Love stories within the realm of human experience set the stage for the Love Affair with the Divine. Persian mystical poetry attempts to express the inexpressible through the use of allegory. A fundamental theme is the pain of separation from the Beloved, and longing for reunion. The seeker of Truth calls on the giver of wine to bring a deep cup, and to fill it with the means to ease this pain. In Persian poetry the Winebearer is another metaphor for Divine Love, and Wine represents spiritual understanding. Drinking deeply of this Wine not only soothes the sadness of disconnection, but makes possible the selfless, enraptured state of Reunion with the Divine.

CLASSICAL PERSIAN MUSIC

While the mysticism of Persian Classical music is rooted in the poetry, the foundational theory of the music itself is known as the radif, a complex system which was organized and codified in the second half of the 19th century, collected from much older musical repertory throughout Iran by two brothers, Mirza Abdollah and Mirza Hossein Gholi. The radif is composed of approximately 400 brief, mostly non-metrical melodic phrases known as gusheh (a word meaning 'corner'), each with a name and an average duration of one or two minutes. These gushehs are classified into 12 modal affinities, and together as the integrated whole of the radif, share some characteristics with the modal art music of India, Turkey and the Arab world.

Since music in these areas has a direct relationship with ancient musical practices whose intervals are more closely related to the proportions of the natural harmonic series, none of these related families of music can be played accurately on the piano.

The establishment of the 12-equal-step tempered scale in 18th century Europe was a brilliant innovation which introduced many significant benefits, including a standard for tuning which made it possible for musicians and orchestras from different areas to play together, as well as the creation of various forms of harmony. Singers with varying vocal ranges could be accommodated, as pitches in the tempered scale can be easily transposed. Along with such conveniences, however, it is notable that a great deal of the essential, archetypal geometry which determines patterns of growth in nature, and which to a large degree is still maintained in Eastern music, has been lost in most of Western music.

In contrast to the Western approach to art which typically promotes the expression of the 'self' of the artist, within Persian and Eastern cultures generally, the artist strives to become a vessel through which the elements of the ancient art form are manifested. Within these parameters, individual expression emerges.

The ancient manner of music education in Iran involves a one-to-one apprenticeship and transmission between Master and student. While the first music lesson for most instruments in Western culture usually involves learning to read music, the emphasis in Persian music - and in Persian culture generally - is memorization. The Master plays a phrase, or gusheh, and the student attempts to internalize and duplicate it until it is mastered. While in recent years the music education system in Iran has become increasingly dependent on written music, the goal remains to commit the repertory of the radif to memory.

Memorization promotes a deeply personal attitude and performance of music. While musicians in the Western symphony orchestra rely on exterior music notation during performances, Persian musicians rely on their own integration of the substance of the music.

The first major accomplishment in attaining mastery of Classical Persian music is the memorization of the entire radif, which depending on the mood of the musician, could occupy between five and six hours to play in its entirety. Over the many years required to memorize the exact melodies and cadence of each gusheh, emotions begin to emerge in personal interpretation and improvisation, within the parameters of the radif.

The practice of internalizing poetry as well as the radif bestows the Persian musician with a profound, impersonal resource from which to draw for personal expression. Traditionally, the Master of Classical Persian music does not know in advance what he or she will perform in a concert. In a flash of inspiration, a poem comes to mind and heart, and related elements of the radif emerge. At the heart of the music is the mysticism of the poetry, which drives the improvisation in response to the circumstances of the moment, including the emotion and idea of the performer, mood of the audience, the weather, time of day, etc. All of the members of the Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble have received training in this approach to music from Masters of Classical Persian music.

DID YOU KNOW?

- Iran
The name 'Iran' means 'land of the Aryans', and not to be confused with Arabs or Turks, Iranians are an Aryan race. 'Persia' is the name given to the more than 5,000 year old culture of Iran by the ancient Greeks, and 'Iran' became the official name of the country in 1932. Both names 'Persia' and 'Iran' are for the most part interchangeable, as are the names 'America' and 'the United Sates'.

- Language
While sharing the same alphabet with Arabic with the addition of several letters, Persian language, or Farsi, is a member of the Indo-European family of languages, along with Spanish, Italian, French, German, English, Russian, Greek and Armenian. Speakers of Hebrew and Arabic, which are Semitic languages, have racial and historical backgrounds which are entirely different from Iranians, and Turkish people have yet another heritage and language. While there are many words and cultural elements which are shared by all these groups, each one is deeply distinct from the other. Many languages and ethnic groups are present in Iran, primarily forms of Turkish, several members of the Iranian linguistic family including Kurdish, and Persian dialects.

- Religion
A monotheistic religion called Zoroastrianism existed in Iran for possibly thousands of years before the introduction of Christianity. From the book of Matthew in the New Testament, we hear of the earliest visitors to the cradle of the infant Jesus, the three Wise Men from the East who had seen his star and came to worship him. The Greek word translated 'Wise Men' is magoi, which enables us to identify these dignified travelers as Zoroastrian priests. This same Greek word is the root of the words 'magic' and 'magician'.

While Zoroastrians still live in Iran today, the majority of Iranians are Shiite Muslims, and other religious groups with the most active presence are Jews, Christians, and Sunni Muslims.

- Persian Empire
The Achaemenid Persian Empire (550–330 BC) was the largest empire of the ancient world, reaching from northern Greece to India, from the Caucasus to Pakistan and into North Africa.

The first known declaration of human rights was written in 539 BC by Cyrus the Great, when he freed the Jewish slaves of Babylon and helped them return to Jerusalem. A copy of this declaration is mounted over the door of one of the most important auditoriums at the United Nations in New York City.

"Greece did not begin civilization - it inherited far more civilization than it began; it was the heir of three millennia of arts and sciences brought to its cities from the Near East by the fortunes of trade and war. In studying and honoring the Near East, we shall be acknowledging a debt long due to the real founders of European and American civilization."
- Will Durant, world historian, The Story of Civilization
Vol. 1, Our Oriental Heritage, 1935, Book One, p. 116.

- Mail system
Invented by the ancient Persians, the first mail system was supported by a road which stretched approximately 1,000 miles from the center of government in what is today southwest Iran to the Mediterranean Sea.

According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus: "There is nothing in the world which travels faster than these Persian couriers. The whole idea is a Persian invention, and works like this: riders are stationed along the road, equal in number to the number of days the journey takes - a man and a horse for each day. Nothing stops these couriers from covering their allotted range in the quickest possible time. Neither snow, rain, heat nor darkness."
- Herodotus (5th century BC), The Histories, Book VIII.98

This system and these very words were adopted during the early days of the United States mail system, in particular the 'Pony Express' of the late 19th century. A translation from Herodotus may sound familiar to some of you: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
- George Palmer, Harvard University

- Science
The earliest 'green builders' were the Iranians, who have made countless contributions to the world through scientific advancements. To mention only a few of their early innovations:

- batteries
Dating from 250 BC, the earliest batteries to be found were unearthed near Ctesiphon, an early capital of Iran near Baghdad in what is now Iraq. They were small enough to fit into a human hand, made from clay, and with the use of citric acid and vinegar were able to generate up to 2.0 volts of power.
- David Down, biblical archaeologist, Creation, March 1994, p.10

- windmill
"Most modern authors on the history of technology agree on the Persian origin of the windmill."
- Hans Wulff, The Traditional Crafts of Persia, 1966 p. 284

It is believed that windmills made their way from Persia to Europe between the 7th and 11th centuries.

- qanat
Meaning roughly 'underground water channel', qanats are a truly extraordinary development in the history of human civilization. While there are many kinds of terrain and weather conditions in Iran, the largest areas are desert. These underground channels are constructed in such a way that water from faraway mountain areas can support settlements and lush walled gardens in the middle of the desert. In order to thrive in such a harsh and dry climate, "Persian imagination and ingenuity is unrivalled in making the best use of water in the desert and in this the country's contribution to the world's technology is unique."
Ronald W Ferrier, The Arts of Persia, 1989, p.115

"The qanat works of Iran were built on a scale that rivaled the great aqueducts of the Roman Empire. Whereas the Roman Aqueducts now are only a historical curiosity, the Iranian system is still in use after 3,000 years and has continually been expanded. There are 22,000 qanat units in Iran, comprising more than 170,000 miles of underground channels.
"Other regions of the world with so little rainfall are barren of attempts at agriculture. Yet Iran is a farming country that not only grows crops for its own food but also manages to produce crops for export ... It has achieved this remarkable accomplishment by developing an ingenious system for tapping underground water."
Hans Wulff, Scientific American, April 1968, p. 94 - 95

Qanats have been introduced in surrounding regions, including Europe during the Islamic period of Spain from the 8th to the 16th centuries. It is remarkable that of the four early great civilizations in the vicinity, each of them except for Iran was supported with ample water supply from large rivers; Egypt on the Nile, Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates, and the Indus Valley Civilization on the River Sind. Iran's great civilization has been supported by the genius of Iranians.

- gardens
Qanat technology made possible the establishment of stunning garden environments in the middle of deserts. Iranians have always held a special reverence for nature, and especially flower gardens. Typically lined with cypress and other trees and arranged with flowers and fountains, pools and running water, the English word 'paradise' most likely is derived from the Persian word for these gardens, pardis.

- badgir
The earliest air conditioning system was also invented by Iranians thousands of years ago in order to cool home interiors and make life in the desert tolerable. Badgir, a word meaning 'catch wind', is an ingeniously simple idea which has attractive possibilities for our current era. A badgir resembles a chimney, but rather than channeling smoke up and out, air is cooled as it is funneled from the top of the badgir down into the living quarters. The most effective use of the badgir is to locate a pool of water with a fountain beneath it, which cools the air to an even more significant degree.

- yakhchal ....
Yet another astounding strategy for living in a desert climate which was engineered by the ancient Persians is the earliest refrigeration system. Often built as a whole system together with qanats and badgirs, yakhchal means 'ice pit'. By 400 BC Iranians were able to produce ice in the most brutal heat of the summer. The yakhchal is typically built as a conical structure above ground over a subterranean storage space. In the winter ice would be carried from the mountains and stored in the underground pit, insulated to withstand high temperatures with the circular wall at least 6 ½ feet thick at the base. These walls are not only resistant to heat transfer, but also completely impervious to water. The material used to build them is made of a mixture of ash, goat hair, lime, egg whites, clay, and sand in specific proportions.

INSTRUMENTS

Santour
Today's santour has 72 strings with a range of three octaves. The santour is constructed most often from walnut in the form of a shallow trapezoidal box. Special lightweight mallets held between the index and middle fingers are used to strike the strings. An ancient instrument, the santour makes its first appearance in Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions in the 5th century BC. Variations of the santour have been played for centuries throughout Iran, Iraq, India, Armenia, Turkey and Greece. More recent descendants of the santour are found in other areas of Asia, throughout Europe and also in American folk music in the form known as hammered dulcimer. The santour is one of the ancestors of the clavichord, harpsichord and the piano.

Târ
The târ is a stringed instrument carved out of mulberry wood with a thin animal skin membrane for its face, producing a remarkable sonority. With six strings grouped in pairs, the târ is played using a metal or ox-horn pick, and is considered one of the most difficult instruments to master, requiring a very high level of dexterity. While variations are found in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the târ is a uniquely Iranian instrument, evolving into its present form towards the end of the nineteenth century from much older instruments. The word târ means 'string' in Persian language, and the names for both the instruments 'guitar' and 'sitar' are derived from the Persian word târ.

Dayereh, Daff
With at least 5,000 years of history, according to the records frame drums were played in ancient times primarily by women. The dayereh and daff are members of this large family of hand drums, of which the tambourine is also a member. Both the dayereh and daff have metal rings mounted along the interior of their frames, and traditionally have animal skins as their membranes, while today plastic skins are also used. The dayereh is traditionally a woman's instrument with many variations found throughout Iran, Azerbaijan and Central Asia. The dayerehs which are played in today's performance are new designs by Rowan Storm and are now in production by Cooperman Drum Company in Vermont.

The form of daff being played in today's performance developed in the context of the spiritual ceremonies of Kurdish dervishes in Iran and Iraq. Due to the similarity of sounds produced by the metal rings while the instruments are shaken, it is likely that both the dayereh and daff evolved in parallel with the grain sieve.

Dohol
Another percussion instrument with a lengthy eastern lineage, believed to derive originally from India, the dohol is a large drum suspended with a strap from the player's shoulder and struck with a pair of sticks, one heavy and one light. The dohol is the ancestor of drums used not only in marching bands, but also several percussion instruments in today's western symphony orchestras.

Dance ~ by Robyn Friend
Dance in the Iranian cultural sphere has deep and ancient roots. Evidence from pottery shards of the Elamite civilization seem to indicate that dance at that time had a ritual, in addition to a celebratory, function. Due in large part to the influence of the Safivid rulers who took control of Iran at the beginning of the 16th century, dance in Iran proper has lost its position as a revered art. Yet in the larger area of Iranian cultural influence (which includes Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Northern India, Azerbaijan, and other near-by areas), dance still has an important role in happy occasions such as weddings, and, in certain areas, in sad occasions as well.

BIOGRAPHIES

ROBYN FRIEND
Robyn Friend is the premier performer of Iranian classical Qajarieh-style dance in Southern California. She earned a Ph.D. in Iranian linguistics from UCLA, and has since continued her studies of Iranian culture, poetry, and dance. Her choreographies of traditional Iranian dance and her many performances of Iranian classical dance and singing, accompanied by Neil Siegel, have earned her rave reviews around the world, and won the respect and affection of the Iranian Diaspora community of Southern California.

NEIL SIEGEL
In today's performance, Neil Siegel plays the târ, the long-necked lute of Iran and Central Asia. He studied the repertoire of Persian classical music with the late Ostâd Mortezâ Varzi, and Turkish classical music with Ergun Tamer and Fuat Turkelman. As 'Siegel and Friend', Neil and Robyn have for more than 30 years performed in venues ranging from the Edinburgh Festival, to Samarkand’s prestigious “Sharq Taronalari” festival, in New York with the Dalai Lama, in many major cities of Europe and United States, and in Los Angeles’ own Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A prominent scientist and engineer, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2005, among many other honors and awards.

FARAZ MINOOEI
Born in Tehran, Faraz Minooei began playing the santour at the age nine. While studying with Mr. Behnam Mehrabi he found a deep spiritual desire to study music, an 'unexplainable souvenir from the eternal truth'. A graduate from San Francisco State University, Faraz is a Nagle Scholar, and the only World/Jazz music major in Northern California, with Persian santour as his primary instrument. As a fulltime musician, Faraz is active in the fields of performance, composition, ethnomusicology, and teaching. He has been fortunate to continue his education in music - as a 'never ending project' - with master musicians such as Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Hossein Omoumi, Royal Hartigan, and Hafez Modirzadeh. He is now continuing the path of music in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology as a graduate student in University of California, Irvine, while receiving the Graduate Diversity Fellowship. In late 2007 and early 2008, he has been invited by UCI, UCLA, and UCSC and the Society of Ethnomusicology to give lectures and demonstrate the Iranian music on santour. Recipient of many scholarships and grants such as the Meet the Composer, he has a passion for understanding the intricacies of the human mind and the world around him and refers to 'thinking' as his hobby. www.farazminooei.com.

ROWAN STORM
Rowan Storm is recognized internationally for her drum workshops, singing in several languages, and performances of traditional percussion instruments with Masters of Middle Eastern music, particularly the dayereh and daff with Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Living in Greece since 1993, Rowan is a leader in the contemporary movement within Greek music and culture to embrace shared Oriental heritage. Her performance venues include San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, New York City's Lincoln Center, European concert halls and music conservatories, ancient amphitheaters throughout Greece and Cyprus, Istanbul's Reshid Rey Concert Hall, Ankara's Middle East Technical University, as well as countless Carpet Concerts throughout Greece, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan.

Recently Rowan spent three months traveling throughout Iran, deepening her understanding of Persian Classical music, the role of women in ancient, sacred percussion traditions, as well as the evolution of Western culture based on countless elements from the East. While in Iran Rowan traveled to Kurdistan, where she was invited to play daff together with women dervishes in their ceremonies.

Rowan teaches Frame Drum workshops throughout the world with her unique Essential Frame Drum Method, and has designed an updated version of the traditional Iranian dayereh, now in production at Cooperman Drum Company:

ROWAN STORM DAYEREH
Artist Innovation Series by
Cooperman Drum Company:

http://www.cooperman.com/coopermanaiseries.php

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

SoCiArts Productions
http://www.sociarts.com

Exploring the Other and its programs are sponsored by:
Anonymous Donor, Hamid and Fereshteh Shafipour, Vida Yaghmai and Kourosh Gohar, Amir Angha, Southern California Edison, Moshen Ghazizadeh, Soheila Kolahi, Shari Rezai, and Katy Saei

With additional support from:
DCA, City of Los Angeles, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The Annenberg Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Carpets and loom provided by
Dr. Khosrow Sobhe of SOBCO International Ltd. and founder and president of RugIdea.com

Persian sweets and tea service provided by
Shari Rezai

Uzbek Suzani silk embroidered panel provided by
The Silk Camel
silkcamel@earthlink.net

Shoebags provided by
Accurate Flannel Bag Company, New York
http://www.accuratebags.com

Afshin Zand
Arash Sharifi
Diana Sanandaji
Fred Baron
Ghasem Toulani
Ian Price
Janmohammadi Family of Tehran
Jacquie Theis and the Bridgettes
Khalifeh Rahmeh and the woman dervishes
and their families of Kurdistan Iran
Laale Ghahreman
Maryam Hooshvar
Mehdi Sarreshtedari
Mohammad Reza Lotfi
Razi Family
... and countless additional friends and friendly strangers ...

Rowan Storm's signature Frame Drum:

ROWAN STORM DAYEREH
Artist Innovation Series by
Cooperman Drum Company:

http://www.cooperman.com/coopermanaiseries.php

Photography by Chuck Gardner
http://www.chuckgardner.com

Graphic design by Ridenour Communications
janice@ridenour.biz

2009-02-24T10:39:00.001+03:30

2009-02-24T10:37:00.000+03:30

Greetings Dearest Friends,

I am so pleased to finally have the first page of my own website, to be expanded soon:

www.rowanstorm.com

... and a new email address:
rowanstorm@carpetconcert.com

Finally a gestalt has been completed ... without consciously making plans, sometimes the seemingly random energies of 'organization' take on things all on their own. I do recall quite a few times appreciating gravity for its powers of generating order in the midst of chaos. In the intensities of various pursuits, as if the world would come to an end unless the task at hand were completed according to every single detail in my vision, at least thanks to gravity, objects around me can be located on ... the ground, rather than flying around in space. This is so convenient and so useful ... since the material dimension becomes unhinged sometimes, going for periods of time untended ... like weeds insisting themselves into a garden, entropy has shown that the universe dissolves from order to disorder with disturbing predictability. Thankfully, gravity locates things at the lowest point. Gurdjieff's idea about doing things 'whole hog including the postage' certainly gives a nice excuse to individuals with obsessive tendencies.

My last blog entry, 2 ½ years ago, was about the generosity of my dear friend Cameron Powers, and his organization 'Musical Missions of Peace' which gave me support for my travels in Iran in 2006. What I have written already about my travels in Iran now seems like a shadow of all that the trip really meant for me ... perhaps it takes this long to digest such an enormous experience.

Last night I had the great fortune to perform with him in California to raise awareness and money for a music school which he founded in Syria for Iraqi refugees ... so that their culture could be maintained at least to some degree, while the patterns of their lives dissolve into one more phase of chaos after another ...

It is an immense privilege to be, as Cameron refers to me, a Musical Ambassador to Iran. While intrigues are cooking in the ovens of the media, I hold fast to the music and my love for music ...

And I ask myself, what have I learned in 2 ½ years since I returned from Iran and wrote my last entry?

My approach to music in some ways is less personal, more focused as a responsibility, and not just some kind of weird ego trip. I notice that I have expertise in different kinds of music from the Middle East and Balkans ... and the ability to teach culture to not only Americans, but to children of those cultures who are not growing up there ... This is very rewarding, to bring substance back to its source, tuck it in like a child at bedtime, and send it off for sweet dreaming.

It happened 'out of the blue' that I was contacted by two different museums recently in California, about presenting three programs with music and other cultural elements about Central Asia and Iran. I will post here the notes I wrote for our program about the Silk Road, at the

Mingei Museum
Escondido California
www.mingei.org

in conjunction with the exhibit,
NOMADIC LEGACY:
Tent & Textiles from Central Asia and Iran ...

with the Silk Road Music & Dance Ensemble,
Robyn Friend ~ dance
Neil Siegel ~ Azeri and Persian tar, baghlama saz
Megan Rancier ~ violin & qyl-qobyz
Rowan Storm ~ vocal, dayereh, daff, dohol

14 February 2009

The members of the Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble are grateful to the Mingei International Museum for the opportunity to share their love for the interrelated traditions of the vast regions recognized today as the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean. For many hundreds of years, the network of trade routes known collectively as the Silk Road promoted the exchange of not only luxury goods including silk, but also ideas, religions, and countless other cultural dimensions, linking China, India and Africa with Europe. Trade along these channels facilitated development of the great civilizations of Asia and Rome, and in many respects advanced the foundation of western culture.

The wealth created by this trade supported the creation of fabulous art in Central Asia, including textiles, painting, ceramics, architecture, poetry, music, and dance, concentrated particularly in the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand. Artistic inspiration has always arisen not only from faraway points along the trade routes, but also from urban culture in nearby Iran as well as local rural 'folk' traditions.

While the first major step in opening the Silk Road between East and West came with Alexander the Great's eastern conquests in the 4th century BC, the intellectual and artistic zenith of the Silk Road cultures took place between the 8th and 16th centuries. Many examples of the artistic accomplishments of these civilizations survive to this day.

The principal languages of contemporary Central Asia belong to the Turkic and Iranian linguistic families, with the additional more recent influence of Russian. While Islam has become the predominant religion since its introduction in the 8th century, several religions have left indelible traces, particularly Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Suggestions of even earlier local polytheistic belief systems can still be found in modern-day Islamic religious practice.

While many cultural elements arrived in the west over innumerable generations of contact with the east, especially during the period of the Crusades from the 11th - 13th centuries, Europeans traveling the Silk Road brought back tambourines, lutes, and other musical instruments which eventually developed into the European piano, guitar, violin, and brass horns.

One of these ancestors of the violin is the qyl-qobyz of Kazakhstan, played in today’s performance by Megan Rancier. All of the percussion and stringed instruments played today by Rowan Storm and Neil Siegel have ancient origins in the regions of the Silk Road, and remain a vital part of traditional musical practices in Central Asia.

Partially due to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam during the 19th century in Central Asia, and partially since many other professions were closed to them, the principal performers of the Bukharan music and dance traditions have long been Jews, whose presence in the region dates from ancient times. At the same time, Jewish women became the leaders of troupes of professional singers and dancers. While most of the great artists of these traditions have now emigrated to Israel and the United States, our dancer Robyn Friend continues her study of Uzbek dance in Uzbekistan with the current generation of the renowned Bukharan Jewish Akilov family, with a continuous performance legacy of over two hundred years.

HUMANITARIAN PHILOSOPHY

While the humanistic philosophy from the realm of the ancient Silk Road has attracted much attention in the West in recent years through the poetry of Rumi, another 13th century poet who is relatively unknown outside of Turkey but who has also had a profound and lasting influence is the mystic Turkish poet, Yunus Emre.

Since most of the philosopher-poets around the time of Yunus Emre were composing exclusively in Persian or Arabic language, their teachings remained largely within the domain of highly educated, elite male circles. Yunus Emre was one of the first Turkish poets to communicate in the vernacular of the Turkish people, therefore reaching a much larger audience with his mystic poetry.

Among the primary themes of Rumi, Yunus Emre and other philosopher-poets of the East is the striving for re-connection with the Divine through love and respect for all creation and all people, regardless of one's station in life. Representative of this message, the following is a translation of the one of the pieces performed today by the Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble, presented in its traditional manner accompanied with saz.

YUNUS EMRE -13th century
translation from Turkish found on internet and sent by Melike Kabatay

İçeri
I love you beyond the depths of my own soul;
On my way, I shun the canon and its call.

Don't say I'm in my self. I am not at all.
There's an I within me, deep, deeper than I.

Wherever I look, I see you've filled that space:
Where, in my inmost soul, can you have your place?

Don't ask me about me: I'm not inside me -
In its robe, my body walks on, all empty.

My love for you has plucked me away from me:
What sweet pain is this? It's beyond remedy.

As he passed by, Yunus chanced to meet the Friend,
And remained at the Gate at the deepest end.

The SILK ROAD MUSIC and DANCE ENSEMBLE invites you to listen with your eyes, observe with your ears, and to discover a deep aesthetic sensibility which unites the content of our music and dance performance with the magnificent textiles and jewelry on display here at the Mingei International Museum.

INSTRUMENTS

Qyl-Qobyz
An ancestor of the violin, the qyl-qobyz was used to accompany epic poetry recitation, and also in ritual music associated with traditional Central Asian shamanistic practices. Both the epic poet singers and the shamans always performed solo, but with the institutionalization of folk music under the Soviet regime, many folk instruments, including the qyl-qobyz, entered the Europeanized musical academy and ensemble-oriented concert settings.

Târ
The târ is a stringed instrument carved out of mulberry wood with a thin animal skin membrane for its face, producing a remarkable sonority. With six strings grouped in pairs, the târ is played using a metal or ox-horn pick, and is considered one of the most difficult instruments to master, requiring a very high level of dexterity. While variations are found in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the târ is a uniquely Iranian instrument, evolving into its present form towards the end of the nineteenth century from much older instruments. The word târ means 'string' in Persian language, and the names for both the instruments 'guitar' and 'sitar' are derived from from the Persian word târ.

Saz
The word saz is the generic term for 'instrument' in Persian language. In rural Turkey the term saz refers to the favourite long-necked lute which exists in several sizes, and is used primarily for regional music. In contrast to the skin-faced târ with Iranian cultural roots, wood-faced long-necked lutes such as the saz originate with the Turkic peoples of Central Asia.

Dayereh, Daff
With at least 5,000 years of history, frame drums were played in ancient times primarily by women. The dayereh and daff are members of this large family of hand drums, of which the tambourine is also a member. Both the dayereh and daff have metal rings mounted along the interior of their frames, and traditionally have animal skins as their membranes, while today plastic skins are also used. The dayereh is traditionally a woman's instrument with many variations found throughout Iran and Central Asia. The dayerehs which are played in today's performance are new designs by Rowan Storm and in production now in the United States by Cooperman Drum Company.

The form of daff being played in today's performance developed in the context of the spiritual ceremonies of Kurdish dervishes in Iran and Iraq. Due to the similarity of sounds produced by the metal rings while the instruments are shaken, it is likely that both the dayereh and daff evolved in parallel with the grain sieve.

Dohol
Another percussion instrument with a lengthy eastern lineage, believed to derive originally from India, the dohol is played with sticks, and is the ancestor of drums used not only in marching bands, but also several percussion instruments in today's western symphony orchestras. Please see similar contemporary marching drums on the website for Cooperman Drum Company: www.cooperman.com.

Dance
Dance is a deeply important part of Central Asian culture. This is especially true in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where no wedding would be complete without dancers, either professional entertainers or dancing by the guests. During the Soviet era, dance was promoted as a means of encouraging ethnic and national identity, and as a way to further the project of freeing women from the strictures of the veil and the social norms of Islam. Dance is deeply embedded in the traditional cultures of this area, and even the influence of fundamentalist Islam has not been able to repress its practice.

BIOGRAPHIES

ROBYN FRIEND
Dr. Robyn Friend is a scholar of Near Eastern and Balkan linguistics, folklore, and ethnology, with an emphasis on Central Asia and Iran. In addition to many other prominent teachers, Robyn has studied Central Asian dance with People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Viloyat Akilova, and with Tajik dance masters Sharofat Rashidova, Makhingol Nazarshoeva, and People’s Artist of Tajikistan Zaragol Iskandarova. Dr. Friend has a Ph.D. from UCLA in Iranian languages. She has studied several Iranian and Turkic dialects including Persian, Tajiki, Suleimaniye Kurdish, modern standard Turkish, Azeri Turkish, Uzbek, Chaghatay, and Ottoman Turkish, as well as Russian, French, and Bulgarian. She has many publications to her credit, in both the popular and academic press. Dr. Friend teaches and performs, mostly for the Iranian community, in Los Angeles. She has recorded extensively, including a solo audio CD of her singing, and 2 videos of her dancing; these are available at www.robynfriend.com.

NEIL SIEGEL
In today’s concert, Neil Siegel plays the saz and the târ, long-necked lutes of Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia. He studied the repertoire of Persian classical music with the late Ostâd Mortezâ Varzi, and Turkish classical music with Ergun Tamer and Fuat Turkelman. As 'Siegel and Friend', Neil and Robyn have for more than 30 years performed in venues ranging from the Edinburgh Festival, to Samarkand’s prestigious 'Sharq Taronalari' festival, in New York with the Dalai Lama, in many major cities of Europe and the United States, and many times in Los Angeles’ own Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A prominent scientist and engineer, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2005, and has received many other honors and awards.

MEGAN RANCIER
Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Megan Rancier is currently a doctoral candidate in ethnomusicology at UCLA. Her regional focus is Central Asia, and she spent seventeen months doing ethnographic fieldwork in Almaty, Kazakhstan between 2006 to 2008. During this time, she became interested in the Kazakh qyl-qobyz and began taking lessons, first with Akerke Tajibaeva (then a conservatory student) and later with the qyl-qobyz virtuoso Raushan Orazbaeva. Her dissertation will address the history of the qyl-qobyz and its role in the conceptualization of post-Soviet Kazakh national identity. Megan began playing the violin at age 9 and performed in orchestras and string quartets throughout her high school and college years, earning a B.Mus. in music history from Bucknell University. She has performed in various ensembles in Los Angeles as a violinist, including the Albanian folk ensemble 'Drita,' the UCLA Near East Ensemble, the UCLA Old-Time String Band, and as a guest artist in the Silk Road Ensemble at Indiana University, Bloomington. Learn more about music and cultural politics in Kazakhstan through Megan's weblog: www.kazakhified.blogspot.com.

ROWAN STORM
Rowan Storm is recognized internationally for her drum workshops, singing in several languages, and performances of traditional percussion instruments with Masters of Middle Eastern music, particularly Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Living in Greece since 1993, Rowan is a leader in the contemporary movement within Greek music and culture to embrace shared Oriental heritage. Her performance venues include New York City's Lincoln Center, San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, Istanbul's Reshid Rey Theater, European concert halls and music conservatories as well as ancient amphitheaters throughout the Mediterranean. Recently Rowan spent three months traveling throughout Iran, deepening her understanding of Persian Classical music, the role of women in ancient, sacred percussion traditions, as well as the evolution of Western culture based on countless elements from the East. Rowan is designing innovative new versions of ancient hand drums from the Eastern world, in production now at Cooperman Drum Company. For some of her Iran travels, please see www.iran-rowanstorm.blogspot.com; www.rowanstorm.com.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Arash Sharifi
Chuck Gardner
Dale Gluckman
Ergun Tamer
Ian Price
Laale Ghahreman
Maryam Hooshvar
Mehdi Sarreshtedari
Melike Kabay
Serpil Borazan
Walter Zev Feldman

Rowan Storm Dayereh by Cooperman Drum Company
www.cooperman.com

text by Rowan Storm copyright 2009
rowanstorm@carpetconcert.com
www.rowanstorm.com

graphic design by Ridenour Communications
www.ridenour.biz
janice@ridenour.biz

2009-02-24T10:36:00.000+03:30

2009-02-24T10:30:00.008+03:30

Greetings Dearest Friends,

I am so pleased to finally have the first page of my own website, to be expanded soon:

www.rowanstorm.com

... and a new email address:
rowanstorm@carpetconcert.com

Finally a gestalt has been completed ... without consciously making plans, sometimes the seemingly random energies of 'organization' take on things all on their own. I do recall quite a few times appreciating gravity for its powers of generating order in the midst of chaos. In the intensities of various pursuits, as if the world would come to an end unless the task at hand were completed according to every single detail in my vision, at least thanks to gravity, objects around me can be located on ... the ground, rather than flying around in space. This is so convenient and so useful ... since the material dimension becomes unhinged sometimes, going for periods of time untended ... like weeds insisting themselves into a garden, entropy has shown that the universe dissolves from order to disorder with disturbing predictability. Thankfully, gravity locates things at the lowest point. Gurdjieff's idea about doing things 'whole hog including the postage' certainly gives a nice excuse to individuals with obsessive tendencies.

My last blog entry, 2 ½ years ago, was about the generosity of my dear friend Cameron Powers, and his organization 'Musical Missions of Peace' which gave me support for my travels in Iran in 2006. What I have written already about my travels in Iran now seems like a shadow of all that the trip really meant for me ... perhaps it takes this long to digest such an enormous experience.

Last night I had the great fortune to perform with in California with Cameron and also our dear friend Souhail Kaspar, the great Lebanese percussionist. This program was intended to raise awareness and money for a music school which Cameron founded in Syria for Iraqi refugees ... so that their culture could be maintained at least to some degree, while the patterns of their lives dissolve into one more phase of chaos after another ...

It is an immense privilege to be, as Cameron refers to me, a Musical Ambassador to Iran. While intrigues are cooking in the ovens of the media, I hold fast to the music and my love for music ...

And I ask myself, what have I learned in 2 ½ years since I returned from Iran and wrote my last entry?

My approach to music in some ways is less personal, more focused as a responsibility, and not just some kind of weird ego trip. I notice that I have expertise in different kinds of music from the Middle East and Balkans ... and the ability to teach culture to not only Americans, but to children of those cultures who are not growing up there ... This is very rewarding, to bring substance back to its source, tuck it in like a child at bedtime, and send it off for sweet dreaming.

It happened 'out of the blue' that I was contacted by two different museums recently in California, about presenting three programs with music and other cultural elements about Central Asia and Iran. I will post here the notes I wrote for our program about the Silk Road, at the

Mingei Museum
Escondido California
www.mingei.org

in conjunction with the exhibit,
NOMADIC LEGACY:
Tent & Textiles from Central Asia and Iran ...

with the Silk Road Music & Dance Ensemble,
Robyn Friend ~ dance
Neil Siegel ~ Azeri and Persian tar, baghlama saz
Megan Rancier ~ violin & qyl-qobyz
Rowan Storm ~ vocal, dayereh, daff, dohol

14 February 2009

The members of the Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble are grateful to the Mingei International Museum for the opportunity to share their love for the interrelated traditions of the vast regions recognized today as the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean. For many hundreds of years, the network of trade routes known collectively as the Silk Road promoted the exchange of not only luxury goods including silk, but also ideas, religions, and countless other cultural dimensions, linking China, India and Africa with Europe. Trade along these channels facilitated development of the great civilizations of Asia and Rome, and in many respects advanced the foundation of western culture.

The wealth created by this trade supported the creation of fabulous art in Central Asia, including textiles, painting, ceramics, architecture, poetry, music, and dance, concentrated particularly in the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand. Artistic inspiration has always arisen not only from faraway points along the trade routes, but also from urban culture in nearby Iran as well as local rural 'folk' traditions.

While the first major step in opening the Silk Road between East and West came with Alexander the Great's eastern conquests in the 4th century BC, the intellectual and artistic zenith of the Silk Road cultures took place between the 8th and 16th centuries. Many examples of the artistic accomplishments of these civilizations survive to this day.

The principal languages of contemporary Central Asia belong to the Turkic and Iranian linguistic families, with the additional more recent influence of Russian. While Islam has become the predominant religion since its introduction in the 8th century, several religions have left indelible traces, particularly Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Suggestions of even earlier local polytheistic belief systems can still be found in modern-day Islamic religious practice.

While many cultural elements arrived in the west over innumerable generations of contact with the east, especially during the period of the Crusades from the 11th - 13th centuries, Europeans traveling the Silk Road brought back tambourines, lutes, and other musical instruments which eventually developed into the European piano, guitar, violin, and brass horns.

One of these ancestors of the violin is the qyl-qobyz of Kazakhstan, played in today’s performance by Megan Rancier. All of the percussion and stringed instruments played today by Rowan Storm and Neil Siegel have ancient origins in the regions of the Silk Road, and remain a vital part of traditional musical practices in Central Asia.

Partially due to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam during the 19th century in Central Asia, and partially since many other professions were closed to them, the principal performers of the Bukharan music and dance traditions have long been Jews, whose presence in the region dates from ancient times. At the same time, Jewish women became the leaders of troupes of professional singers and dancers. While most of the great artists of these traditions have now emigrated to Israel and the United States, our dancer Robyn Friend continues her study of Uzbek dance in Uzbekistan with the current generation of the renowned Bukharan Jewish Akilov family, with a continuous performance legacy of over two hundred years.

HUMANITARIAN PHILOSOPHY

While the humanistic philosophy from the realm of the ancient Silk Road has attracted much attention in the West in recent years through the poetry of Rumi, another 13th century poet who is relatively unknown outside of Turkey but who has also had a profound and lasting influence is the mystic Turkish poet, Yunus Emre.

Since most of the philosopher-poets around the time of Yunus Emre were composing exclusively in Persian or Arabic language, their teachings remained largely within the domain of highly educated, elite male circles. Yunus Emre was one of the first Turkish poets to communicate in the vernacular of the Turkish people, therefore reaching a much larger audience with his mystic poetry.

Among the primary themes of Rumi, Yunus Emre and other philosopher-poets of the East is the striving for re-connection with the Divine through love and respect for all creation and all people, regardless of one's station in life. Representative of this message, the following is a translation of the one of the pieces performed today by the Silk Road Music and Dance Ensemble, presented in its traditional manner accompanied with saz.

YUNUS EMRE -13th century
translation from Turkish found on internet and sent by Melike Kabatay

İçeri
I love you beyond the depths of my own soul;
On my way, I shun the canon and its call.

Don't say I'm in my self. I am not at all.
There's an I within me, deep, deeper than I.

Wherever I look, I see you've filled that space:
Where, in my inmost soul, can you have your place?

Don't ask me about me: I'm not inside me -
In its robe, my body walks on, all empty.

My love for you has plucked me away from me:
What sweet pain is this? It's beyond remedy.

As he passed by, Yunus chanced to meet the Friend,
And remained at the Gate at the deepest end.

The SILK ROAD MUSIC and DANCE ENSEMBLE invites you to listen with your eyes, observe with your ears, and to discover a deep aesthetic sensibility which unites the content of our music and dance performance with the magnificent textiles and jewelry on display here at the Mingei International Museum.

INSTRUMENTS

Qyl-Qobyz
An ancestor of the violin, the qyl-qobyz was used to accompany epic poetry recitation, and also in ritual music associated with traditional Central Asian shamanistic practices. Both the epic poet singers and the shamans always performed solo, but with the institutionalization of folk music under the Soviet regime, many folk instruments, including the qyl-qobyz, entered the Europeanized musical academy and ensemble-oriented concert settings.

Târ
The târ is a stringed instrument carved out of mulberry wood with a thin animal skin membrane for its face, producing a remarkable sonority. With six strings grouped in pairs, the târ is played using a metal or ox-horn pick, and is considered one of the most difficult instruments to master, requiring a very high level of dexterity. While variations are found in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the târ is a uniquely Iranian instrument, evolving into its present form towards the end of the nineteenth century from much older instruments. The word târ means 'string' in Persian language, and the names for both the instruments 'guitar' and 'sitar' are derived from from the Persian word târ.

Saz
The word saz is the generic term for 'instrument' in Persian language. In rural Turkey the term saz refers to the favourite long-necked lute which exists in several sizes, and is used primarily for regional music. In contrast to the skin-faced târ with Iranian cultural roots, wood-faced long-necked lutes such as the saz originate with the Turkic peoples of Central Asia.

Dayereh, Daff
With at least 5,000 years of history, frame drums were played in ancient times primarily by women. The dayereh and daff are members of this large family of hand drums, of which the tambourine is also a member. Both the dayereh and daff have metal rings mounted along the interior of their frames, and traditionally have animal skins as their membranes, while today plastic skins are also used. The dayereh is traditionally a woman's instrument with many variations found throughout Iran and Central Asia. The dayerehs which are played in today's performance are new designs by Rowan Storm and in production now in the United States by Cooperman Drum Company.

The form of daff being played in today's performance developed in the context of the spiritual ceremonies of Kurdish dervishes in Iran and Iraq. Due to the similarity of sounds produced by the metal rings while the instruments are shaken, it is likely that both the dayereh and daff evolved in parallel with the grain sieve.

Dohol
Another percussion instrument with a lengthy eastern lineage, believed to derive originally from India, the dohol is played with sticks, and is the ancestor of drums used not only in marching bands, but also several percussion instruments in today's western symphony orchestras. Please see similar contemporary marching drums on the website for Cooperman Drum Company: www.cooperman.com.

Dance
Dance is a deeply important part of Central Asian culture. This is especially true in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where no wedding would be complete without dancers, either professional entertainers or dancing by the guests. During the Soviet era, dance was promoted as a means of encouraging ethnic and national identity, and as a way to further the project of freeing women from the strictures of the veil and the social norms of Islam. Dance is deeply embedded in the traditional cultures of this area, and even the influence of fundamentalist Islam has not been able to repress its practice.

BIOGRAPHIES

ROBYN FRIEND
Dr. Robyn Friend is a scholar of Near Eastern and Balkan linguistics, folklore, and ethnology, with an emphasis on Central Asia and Iran. In addition to many other prominent teachers, Robyn has studied Central Asian dance with People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Viloyat Akilova, and with Tajik dance masters Sharofat Rashidova, Makhingol Nazarshoeva, and People’s Artist of Tajikistan Zaragol Iskandarova. Dr. Friend has a Ph.D. from UCLA in Iranian languages. She has studied several Iranian and Turkic dialects including Persian, Tajiki, Suleimaniye Kurdish, modern standard Turkish, Azeri Turkish, Uzbek, Chaghatay, and Ottoman Turkish, as well as Russian, French, and Bulgarian. She has many publications to her credit, in both the popular and academic press. Dr. Friend teaches and performs, mostly for the Iranian community, in Los Angeles. She has recorded extensively, including a solo audio CD of her singing, and 2 videos of her dancing; these are available at www.robynfriend.com.

NEIL SIEGEL
In today’s concert, Neil Siegel plays the saz and the târ, long-necked lutes of Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia. He studied the repertoire of Persian classical music with the late Ostâd Mortezâ Varzi, and Turkish classical music with Ergun Tamer and Fuat Turkelman. As 'Siegel and Friend', Neil and Robyn have for more than 30 years performed in venues ranging from the Edinburgh Festival, to Samarkand’s prestigious 'Sharq Taronalari' festival, in New York with the Dalai Lama, in many major cities of Europe and the United States, and many times in Los Angeles’ own Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A prominent scientist and engineer, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2005, and has received many other honors and awards.

MEGAN RANCIER
Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Megan Rancier is currently a doctoral candidate in ethnomusicology at UCLA. Her regional focus is Central Asia, and she spent seventeen months doing ethnographic fieldwork in Almaty, Kazakhstan between 2006 to 2008. During this time, she became interested in the Kazakh qyl-qobyz and began taking lessons, first with Akerke Tajibaeva (then a conservatory student) and later with the qyl-qobyz virtuoso Raushan Orazbaeva. Her dissertation will address the history of the qyl-qobyz and its role in the conceptualization of post-Soviet Kazakh national identity. Megan began playing the violin at age 9 and performed in orchestras and string quartets throughout her high school and college years, earning a B.Mus. in music history from Bucknell University. She has performed in various ensembles in Los Angeles as a violinist, including the Albanian folk ensemble 'Drita,' the UCLA Near East Ensemble, the UCLA Old-Time String Band, and as a guest artist in the Silk Road Ensemble at Indiana University, Bloomington. Learn more about music and cultural politics in Kazakhstan through Megan's weblog: www.kazakhified.blogspot.com.

ROWAN STORM
Rowan Storm is recognized internationally for her drum workshops, singing in several languages, and performances of traditional percussion instruments with Masters of Middle Eastern music, particularly Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Living in Greece since 1993, Rowan is a leader in the contemporary movement within Greek music and culture to embrace shared Oriental heritage. Her performance venues include New York City's Lincoln Center, San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, Istanbul's Reshid Rey Theater, European concert halls and music conservatories as well as ancient amphitheaters throughout the Mediterranean. Recently Rowan spent three months traveling throughout Iran, deepening her understanding of Persian Classical music, the role of women in ancient, sacred percussion traditions, as well as the evolution of Western culture based on countless elements from the East. Rowan is designing innovative new versions of ancient hand drums from the Eastern world, in production now at Cooperman Drum Company. For some of her Iran travels, please see www.iran-rowanstorm.blogspot.com; www.rowanstorm.com.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Arash Sharifi
Chuck Gardner
Dale Gluckman
Ergun Tamer
Ian Price
Laale Ghahreman
Maryam Hooshvar
Mehdi Sarreshtedari
Melike Kabay
Serpil Borazan
Walter Zev Feldman

Rowan Storm Dayereh by Cooperman Drum Company
www.cooperman.com

text by Rowan Storm copyright 2009
rowanstorm@carpetconcert.com
www.rowanstorm.com

graphic design by Ridenour Communications
www.ridenour.biz
janice@ridenour.biz

2006-08-06T00:04:00.000+03:30

2006-06-18T21:33:00.000+03:30

Fri, 9 June 2006
NEWS 7 - QOM/TEHRAN

Salaam, dear everyone!

Struggling to catch up a bit before leaving Iran - Egads! - 10 days from now ... The time has been going so fast, and although I am flying high from my time here, at the same time I am soooo sad to think about leaving here ...

I would like to acknowledge and express my deepest gratitude for the support and immensely valuable activities of my dear longterm parallel- path musician friend, Cameron Powers. During my college years, Cameron was the first musician that opened the door for me, helping me out of my head to participate with others in the pursuit of - and enthrallment with - Middle Eastern music. (And how ironic that the first music we played together was Carmina Burana!) For many years Cameron and his partner have been traveling through the Arab world, bringing people together through the power of music, and working tirelessly to promote understanding across borders between Arab and American audiences.

He and his foundation, Musical Missions of Peace, have so generously contributed financially to my own mission here in Iran. Please check out his website(s), and this section from what he posted on his group mailings:

"Rowan is traveling through Iran currently. She is an American who is pursuing her dream of being a living-breathing-musical-cultural-bridge between the Persian East and the American/Greek West.

"Musical Missions of Peace is proud to be able, thanks to your donations, to help Rowan pay some of her expenses for this work.

"If you are interested in the history of Musical Missions or in making a contribution, go to http://www.musicalmissions.com/ and click on "Financial Subscriptions and Donations"

"If you are interested in reading the mission statement of the 501c3 Non-Profit organization Musical Missions of Peace, go to http://www.musicalmissionsofpeace.com/

"Please take a moment to read Rowan's latest updates at her blogspot.

"Thanks for your Attention, Cameron"

... And Thanks to you, Cameron!

This reminds me, if any of you have comments, please DO post them here on the weblog so that all may read them. Countless friends have written such extraordinary, touching feedback to me personally on my own email. I would like to share those comments from the beginning of my travels here two months ago, when I was simply writing to friends. Time prevents me now from collecting all your earlier comments and re-posting ...

Thanks to the suggestion of many, my "newsletter" evolved into this weblog. There has also been much encouragement to turn this into a book ... inshallah! (In case any of you are unfamiliar with this Arabic term, it means God-willing ... in Spain I encountered the comparable version, "ohallah".)

If you would like to make a comment, please click on the envelope icon at the bottom of each posting. Thanks to you all for your great support and enthusiam!

Not only do I wish to share my experiences here with all my personal friends and family members, but I feel called upon to help spread the GREAT news about the magnificent culture of Iran, which is so sadly misunderstood in the Western world.

Please feel free to forward this link to whomever you like. It is my wish that through sharing my adventures here, a different picture can emerge in readers' minds about Iran than what is so present in the news these days.

This could well be my last news posting from here, since time is so very precious. Ten days go by in a flash ... Will write more about my experiences here at some future date, since I have quite a busy "re-entry" schedule, including another bout of intense work in Athens. (Yikes!)

Before signing off for now, a bit about my solo travels, which began in earnest several weeks ago, beginning with the remarkable spiritual center of Qom ...

As many of you I am sure already know, a woman traveling alone over here is MOST unusual, strange, and looked upon with much disdain and suspicion. Nima's family - having become my own beloved family here in Iran - are extremely open-minded and progressive, and even they were having misgivings about my venture out on my own ... I finally managed to pursuade them that since I have managed to create a wonderful life from scratch in places as daunting as New York City, Athens Greece, Zurich Switzerland, all by myself (and of course with Greater Guidance), and travel throughout Central America alone, etc, I feel bold and able, with enough communication skill, to go out on my own over here, and immerse myself in the culture and throw caution to the wind.

I was fascinated to experience the very Holy city of Qom, the heart of Iranian Shiite religious study, full of schools and scholars and students studying Kor'an and the ways of Shiism in particular. With Nima's family's blessings and as ever support and love and guidance, I armed myself with a black chador borrowed from Nima's dear mother, my Lonely Planet Iran Guidebook, and all of my most brave thoughts and convictions, and took off after 9 pm on a bus from Tehran to Qom.

Also have to mention how invaluable the Lonely Planet Guidebook has been. It really is quite amazing that with this one resource it is indeed possible to travel alone, finding all sorts of things - sites, hotels, restaurants etc - that even my Iranian friends don't know about. (And great to be able to introduce some new places to them!)

Nima could not come in the beginning, and our plan was that he would meet up with me for a few days along the way to Kashan, Esfahan, Shiraz, Persepolis, possibly even Yazd and beyond. I wanted to not have any particular program or time frame, and to just follow my intuition and whatever seemed to sparkle, and to stay however long in any given place that felt right. In other words, to just surrender to "the flow", with some degree of language skill.

Of course I remember that famous bit of wisdom, that a little knowledge is dangerous! Now with my scarce ability with Persian language I can manage to express myself about anything, but when the answer comes back sometimes I am left in a complete and utter fog ... (interesting, as I am sure many of you know, how with some individuals there is no problem communicating in a new language, and with some others, zilch ...)

I was given a strong preparatory talk about the seriousness of Qom ... no laughter, keep a straight face, don't let any hair show from under the chador, don't look anyone in the eye, keep head low. Nima's father escorted me to the bus station, engaging with the driver and fellow passengers, requesting that they look out for me, which they certainly did ... sooooo kind.

Having braced myself for maintaining and presenting a somber and reflective mood, I was delighted and rather up-ended when on the bus they were showing a verrry funny movie, which had everyone in stitches! It was a real slap-stick comedy ... including scenes of two men and a woman with totally correct Islamic attire sporting Superman/Superwoman costumes, flying off into the air. Also real wild-western style shootout scenes, complete with lassos, cowboy hats and boots, (including the woman, also naturally wearing her bandana under the hat). The story line I did not quite catch but that didn't prevent me from getting swept up in the wave of giddiness that was surging through the entire busload of chuckling, cackling souls. A delightful trip - uniting everyone in lighthearted laughter, always the best ice-breaker and disarming humanity-connecting factor ...

Finally arriving in Qom around midnight, as soon as the bus driver stepped out, without reminder from me, he conscientiously orchestrated getting me into a real taxi (I'll leave it up to everyone's imagination, what that might mean ...) I was so touched by his consideration of me, after being on the road for almost two hours! With the Lonely Planet Guide, I made my way to a friendly hotel under the wing of the complex of Holy buildings, and Shrine of the Sister of Imam Reza, Fatemeh, who lies in peace there since the 9th century A.D. Had to compose - and paste on - a straight face again after the hilarity of the film on the bus.

We went screeching off into the night, and on towards the center of town. The driver was anything but what I would expect in a city like Qom - rather cowboy-like, appearing to have just gotten off the range, with a suntanned and very wrinkled face and neck as if he had been sitting in the saddle steering cows and horses around for years, even with a distinct aroma of what I imagined to be chewing tobacco, cowboy style.

I have learned to agree on prices with taxi drivers before taking off - which always seem to be negotiable (HAH! Imagine that in New York City!) We agreed on a price, and when we arrived next to the hotel, he complained that it was too little. Bracing myself in that certain defensive posture of sticking-up-for-myself, I said, we agreed on THAT price, and did not give him any more, and then of course felt guilty as soon as he went muttering off, leaving me in a cloud of dust, with the glorious Shrine sparkling before me and the mysteries of Shiism breathing palpably all around me ...

(Of course when I left Qom for Kashan, I found my own very gracious taxi driver who wanted less money than the arriving one for the same distance, and then I happily gave him more, still feeling ashamed about my earlier stinginess ...)

Taking a deep breath, I sauntered into the hotel, now well past midnight, trying to look like a dignified traveler with nothing at all amiss in my late - and solo - arrival. Four or five men sitting around smoking in the lobby, and one of them finally got up and even smiled, and came over to the counter. I was a bit concerned about having to give over my US passport, and then he asked me where I am from, and I answered, Greece. His friendly response, Oh, wonderful! ... and as nonchalantly as possible handed the passport to him, hoping he would not notice country origin ... (It is NOT that I dread my own American identity - I simply do not care to be associated with US foreign policy. Of course in retrospect, I regret having missed those earlier opportunities to be a living demonstration and representative of another kind of America(n) ... more about that later ...)

Then when he had the passport in his hand and was looking straight at it, he turned to me with a kind of twisted expression, and asked, are you from Russia!? Disguising my flabbergasted reaction, I said, No, I am from Greece ... Oh, OK, and shrugging, he handed over keys for two rooms to check out, and summoned a porter and off we went upstairs. The porter was very kind and introduced me to a smiling worker in the hall with a huge box of tiles (... at this hour ... !?) who was also delighted to know that I came from Greece.

Next morning I suited myself up in the chador and went off to discover Qom. It felt wonderful to wear this clothing, and I was glad that it was not such a hot day. At first I wanted to just blend into the crowd on the streets as much as possible, and to feel the energy. One really great advantage about being encircled by a large swathe of black cloth is that it levels all issues about individuality, and my blondish, blue-eyed saunter around town went unnoticed. Truly fascinating mixture of faces and postures ... and I could not help making the comparison to the streets of Athens, both places filled with men walking around wearing long robes.

Circling wide around the Shrine complex, I paid my respects to Ayatollah Khomeini, whose former residence I visited along the way. Finally entering one of several gateways, without knowing what time it was, I was astonished that exactly as I set one foot through the door, the Azan began. Kismet ...

The Azan is the formal call to prayer, a man's voice singing lines from the Kor'an, which is broadcast from loudspeakers throughout the Islamic world, in Iran at sunrise, noon and sunset. I remember my first visit to an Islamic city, Istanbul, and my first enrapturement with the sheer musicality and profoundly powerful resonances of the Azan ... As a musician involved with Middle Eastern music for most of my life, the rich sound, the wave-form that spreads out everywhere from the Azan is one of the most engaging, attractive elements of dwelling within the Islamic sphere ...

... A flow of women in their flowing garments, and I was swept up with them into the inner section for the prayer ceremony. We were directed by a few women with long fuzzy sticks (looking rather like dusters) to line up in parallel rows, side by side. I surrendered to the moment, to the Azan, and to the worship. Mesmerized deeply with the man's melodious voice leading the prayer, the intensity, power and grandeur of the vast space, the huge crowd of worshippers ...

The synchronized physical movements of the prayer began; standing ... bent from the hips, back parallel with the floor, hands on knees ... standing again, receptive hands raised, up and down, kneeling, forehead to the floor in surrender and submission to God ... and all the time being uplifted by the sound quality of the Azan, permeating every cell, every degree of listening and receiving ...

At the conclusion of the formal prayer, which came far too soon for me, I felt united, integrated, empowered ... and immensely grateful for this opportunity and privilege to share this experience with the women of Qom, and also with the men on the other side of the curtain whom I could not see, but could certainly hear.

I sat for a long time in various corners of the complex, feeling more alive than ever, soaking up the energy and adoring the humanity of the women in there conducting their lives. Many were intently studying Kor'an, some in separate, dedicated sections, some in their own private corners in deep reverence ... all wearing head-to-toe chador, all sitting on the carpeted floor ... a few were sprawled out apparently catching a nap, some were having a picnic, some seemed to be resorting to gossip, and some - such an ironic contrast - were munching on cheese puffs.

Floating through the building complex, feeling more upright than I had before, as if I had just been initiated ... The buildings are full of stunning architectural details, patterned domes, dazzling mirror mosaics. Approaching the Shrine of Fatemeh ... More women with fuzzy sticks, directing the swell ... Although it was not as intense an experience as in Mashhad, since there were fewer women (the spectacular architectural magnificence of Mashhad also lends its influence), it was still a feat to reach the Shrine itself, feeling drawn, targeting myself through the sea of emotional bodies and souls. This time I was able to grab onto the bars and stay there for a few minutes, surrounded by and communing with intense - female - energy, especially since such a distinguished Sister lies there. Remembering the woman-angel who helped me to touch the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, I lead others' hands forward, and also deposited money into the openings in the glass surrounding the Shrine that were being passed up from the back.

Finally after a few hours I made my way out across the inner circular courtyard, now wearing sunglasses, since I had spotted another woman wearing them earlier ... I finally must have betrayed my "otherness" since at last one man approached me excitedly, saying, where are you from, who are you with? Startled, I answered with a smile, who am I WITH!?!? ... I wished later that I had said to him, I am with noone, and I am with everyone, and I am with God ...

I eventually emerged from the complex, noticing a small enclosed graveyard in the area in front of the complex, and went inside. Walking slowly, contemplatively, connecting emotionally with photographs and memorabilia of lost loved ones, studying the intricate, beautiful horizontal gravestones that function as tiles on the ground ... stopping to watch a few men working on one site. Suddenly and completely out of the blue I burst into tears ... Sharing with others' losses, this inevitable reminder of the fragile nature of life on this plain ... Remembering my own dear loved ones, now feeling so vividly the separation - and connection with them - from another dimension ...

Collecting myself, found a great spot for lunch, packed up my things, expressing my farewell and gratitude for all the soulful people of the hotel and of the light-bearing magnet of Qom, feeling complete. And yet, at the same time I knew only too well that I had only touched the very outermost layer of this enchantingly powerful place ...

... and set off on the bus for Kashan and beyond ... next chapter(s).

Meanwhile, springing several weeks forward to today ...

Having truly fallen in love with Iran, today in Tehran was especially full of heartful reflections ... A visit to a travel agency, at last a meeting with a gentleman with whom I have been communicating for more than four years about coming to a language program here (inshallah will happen soooon!), a visit with my excellent language teacher during this period ... Everyone so helpful and patient with everything, as well as my bungling efforts with zabane Farsi ...And then I went alone by metro to buy a suitcase, all of these episodes resulting in a sharp deepening of this love story, engaging with the people of the streets of Tehran - as well as a fine suitcase.

On the metro, so many gentlemen offered me their seats ... when I came out, I went down the wrong street, and finally asked a police officer for directions. He was so kind, so utterly gracious and handsome in his uniform, and knows the streets so well, guiding me and several other lost passers-by towards the light ... Two visits at a hardware store, a battery for my watch, then the suitcase store ... and on and on, each and every one of the individuals whose lives touched mine were so thoroughly kind. Their inevitable questions about where I am from, and this time I answered, feeling as if I were finally emerging from some unnecessary extra skin, America, and Greece.

If I had not been alone, these simple, precious encounters with human souls, lighting up like candles spreading out across the city, simply would not have happened. Finally I realized that these everyday meetings with people in the normal course of life, with a vulnerable, open heart, is what provides the foundation for making a difference in this world ...

I came sailing back on the metro, dragging the new suitcase behind me like a feisty puppy dog, dodging stares and grins for my unusual (here in Tehran) metro companion ... (Whoever invented suitcases on wheels is a true genius!) Happiness, feeling light, full of love and compassion from and for each and every person with whom I had contact ... and returned to my dear family here and shared with them, with tears of joy welling up ...

With fondest salutations for all,

Rowan

2006-05-28T20:10:00.000+03:30

Sun, 28 May 2006
NEWS 6 - TEHRAN

GREETINGS again, long time no news, too busy to write!

Now it feels like ancient history, and again retrogressing:

When we returned from Mashhad, now several weeks ago, (flime is CERTAINLY tying ...) and before finally making the break - on my own - for various tourist attractions out in the countryside (more about that later), I fell into a whirlwind of local activities here in Tehran, some about music - as musician, teacher (of dayereh and daff) and student (tombak and Persian language), some about being a tourist (visits to some of the array of amazing museums here in Tehran), some about being a guest in various homes and experiencing quite extraordinary Persian-style hospitality ... and some just about being someone from a different culture - different planet! - and dealing with the full array of challenges that naturally represents ... including a few periods of just being totally exhausted, overwhelmed, broken down, incapacitated, out of order, not moving outside at all - barely even inside.

I went for an excellent tombak lesson and also Persian language lesson, and had the painful realization that with my time over here being so precious, I needed to make some difficult decisions about whether to stick myself inside a room and practice like mad, OR, to throw myself into this country, and try to fill myself up with as many impressions and sights and vibrations from talking with people on the street, the architecture, monuments, stunning geographic variations ... And finally came to the conclusion that as much as I can try to find some sort of balance between all these directions, I just could not put myself - here - at this time - on what I consider an appropriate schedule for being a serious student. (If that were the case, I would never see anything other than my own hands, the instrument before me, and the four walls ...) How could I be over here and NOT go to Esfahan, Shiraz, Persepolis, etc ... !?!?!

... Looking for an internet cafe (here known as "coffee-net") with printer near the guesthouse, asking 20 people and getting 20 different answers ... including quite a few people who walked long distances with me, so graciously showing me the way where they thought would be such a place, (and there wasn't), sometimes getting confused with "coffee shop" and finding myself in a bakery with amazing assortments of sweets and goodies - no internet ... Finally ended up in the business center of the quite glorious Simorgh Hotel (where I FINALLY managed to set up this weblog - which started out as a newsletter for my family and friends, and then after some problems sending multiple mailings through Yahoo, and encouragement from friends about creating a blog and going "public", and hoping that a blog would be easier to send ... lo and behold!). Also in the process stumbled on quite a magnificent park, and had the great pleasure of sitting among some trees and shade and fountains, marvelling at the quantity and splendid quality of soooo many parks, throughout Tehran!

Went for visa extension, quite amazing. When I first arrived I was told that after the first month, I could get two 15-day extensions, making a total of two months that I would be allowed to stay here. Then the day came for the visit to the Aliens Police (I know that concept from Athens, and cannot help but laugh every time I think of that term, and my expectation to see some green characters with antennaes strolling about, wearing wild-western style marshall-like badges on their chests ...) We went together, Nima and "my Ayatollah" and one other gentleman (it turns out that of the two gentlemen I met here when I first arrived, one is in fact an Ayatollah, without the customary clothing to give it away.) I had understood that I would need to return in a few days to pick up my passport with the visa extension.

We walked into the room, full of people with rather exasperated expressions, seeming as if they had been waiting for hours. Most of them apeared to be Afghanis, and I was filled with sadness for these proud and handsome people who have such an incredibly difficult time, sorting out their lives ... Both sad and relieved, when we whisked by the whole lot, into a side room, a conversation with an officer, then up to the front of the line, and in NO TIME not only did I get my passport back again, but I was given 30 days, not 15, AND permission to get yet another 30-day extension, making a total of 3 months here. SOOOO happy, also feeling a bit guilty, passing out through the hordes onto the street again with the green light of the open horizon before me. I felt like a real VIP, getting the red carpet treatment!

Another day we went to some family friends for a HUGE delicious lunch, at their home near the northern edge of Tehran, and a walk up some hills nearby, where Nima and I played music together with neighbours and passers-by stopping shyly near us to listen in. Before we knew it, there on the hilltop among the trees with a magnificent view overlooking Tehran, several hours had gone by. Back down the hill, and to an enlightening concert of Traditional Persian music in the major music theater in Tehran, Talar-e Vahdat, with only the splendid fountains and delicious garden design of the courtyard giving away the location, otherwise the concert hall could have been in any European city.

Many visits, lunches and dinners with friends, friends and families of friends, including a warm visit at the home of the Armenian lady with whom I arrived on the plane from Frankfurt ... Also to the family of my very dear friend Fardin!!! We went for a trout dinner at a grand restaurant sitting by the side of a raging river, under the trees and OXYGEN!!! - and THAT was a welcome respite from the heat of the city (more about that later). Full circles ... busy social life (not my normal pattern!), Persian language expanding, out of necessity - wonderful and exhausting!

Some of my personal reflections, including some of the difficulties here ... I know everything I have written so far has been about all the glories and wonders, as if it is all effortless. Believe me - it is not easy, in any and every case, wherever, trying to fit oneself into a different culture. Being a tourist is one thing, viewing everything from the outside - but trying to assimilate, and to understand the culture from the inside, including some degree of language ability - is QUITE another matter. I am sure many of you know what I mean!!!

The period building up to my arrival here was heavily, dramatically charged with all sorts of - how to put it? - "recommendations" is an understatement - to NOT COME to Iran - including some rather frantic warnings about my being totally crazy to put myself into such a dangerous and volatile climate - that I would certainly be ... - I don't even want to repeat it here - from some of my very dearest, boldest and wisest American and Greek friends, who have travelled to outrageously out-of-the-way places, far, far off the beaten track. When I asked one Iranian lady from Tehran whom I met in Los Angeles if she would come here if she were me, her answer was, flatly, NO.

And then there was the hysterical 6 week period in Athens, intense neverending work on the material plane, fixing all manner of problems with managing 3 rental apartments, one terrace roof about to fly off in the wind, holes/leaks in another roof, every day checking the internet for news of my visa, and listening to my Greek friends' horror about my travel plans. Of course, a few of my friends, even my MOM (thanks Mommy Joon!) have been totally understanding of how much this trip means/has meant to me, after YEARS of wanting to come here ... and although concerned for me, have been totally supportive, and encouraging.

When the visa was FINALLY CONFIRMED, and all things tucked away and dust scraped off the floor and out from my lungs, replacement of rusty hot water heaters with water discovered inside the wires, ready to explode ... exhausted, battle-weary, bouts of paranoia mixed with the certainty of my destiny guiding the way ... never I will forget being in the taxi to the Athens airport, sleepless, wrung out, energy totally spent in the previous weeks, trying to remember to breathe, and delightfully passing signs on the road for the Greek drivers: ENKYRO (good) ... ANAPSTE OLA (turn on all lights, driving through a tunnel) ... and never did those words hold such meaning and power, and indication that my path was opening before me in the RIGHT way ... and the experience, at LAST, of having gone - already - through some sort of rite of passage, as if dematerializing, passing through a cement wall, rematerializing on the other side ... full of anticipation, anxiety, excitement, about the actual arrival here ... and the REAL adventure ...

For some reason I had thought I was not allowed to be outside on the streets by myself here, which I had just accepted without questioning (and fully understanding the reasons for that, me with my US passport.) But finally after the first 10 days of poor Nima and/or other family members constantly shuffling me back and forth, one day Nima announced, OK - it's time for you to go around alone! I called my Ayatollah to make sure I had permission: YES, no problem, and I was both relieved and rather intimidated, and when Nima went with me to the local supermarket - and left me there alone to fend for myself - I had a fine time trying to look like I was NOT a foreigner, my nervousness inside wearing a "calm" expression ... must have worked since as soon as I was alone in there, wandering around the isles, acting the part, a woman approached me and asked if I knew where something was in there. (Reminiscent of my experience coming out of the Haram at Mashhad, and also MANY other times here, women seem to gravitate to me, asking directions!)

Laughing to myself, I simply answered no, so sorry, don't know ... And until then I had always gone with Nima everywhere and still had not much of a clue about the money situation ... at the checkout counter had another laugh ... the very gracious lady at the cash register offered to help with my wad of bills, her chosing carefully which ones amounted to what ... and asking me where I am from ... and my general response over here is, Greece (and more about THAT later). And then, eureka! I even managed to take a taxi, and actually to arrive at Nima's family's home, all by myself! I had asked the lady caretaker at the guesthouse if I had the right amount of money in my hand for the taxi, and was assured that yes, it was correct - and then arrived near Nima's house and handed the money to the driver - and it turned out I was giving him ten times the correct amount, and gratefully he handed over the rather drastic difference in the change ... Again, chuckling at myself, and congratulating myself with my big accomplishment ...

... And then at one dinner gathering one Iranian gentleman had a good chuckle about my preferred Greek identity/affiliation, reminding me of the dastardly deeds of Alexander and his conquests (interesting switch of perspective, right, all my Greek friends!?!?!) ... and how being Greek over here is not much better than being an American ... Ancient history aside, luckily in recent history the Greeks have a most respectable standing in the world at large ... and identifying myself with Greek culture certainly feels right and appropriate - after living there for almost 13 years ... and, frankly, more low-profile!!! (And by the way, some of you might have noticed in the heading of this blog, I have edited my identity as American/Greek ... which also, by the way, makes me realize that writing about my experience of adapting and becoming integrated into Greek culture is another extraordinary chapter of my life-path ... sometime later, inshallah!)

There is a term here, called "taarof" (and later will include some of the terms used here in polite conversation), which means something like "overarching politeness". Nima's sister Shiva gives this as a rough description/translation: politeness out of limits, and not real ... and from a dictionary: compliment, flattery, courtesy, to stand upon ceremony, to make a present of. So far, coming from a Western background of struggling to be direct about communications, this element of society here is rather daunting, and forever has me wondering where I really stand with people here (and for that matter, where anyone has standing ...)

An example, and a very fine lesson in the benefits of knowing about how and when to resort to this kind of behaviour:

One evening Nima and I were invited to the home of some Iranian friends at 9 pm. Knowing that this is a normal dinner hour, and that the cooking expertise in this family is quite superiour, AND thinking that the invitation was certainly for dinner, Nima and I ate nothing all day in anticipation of a delicious and huge meal. We arrived at the home at the appointed time, and the full array of typically pre-dinner goodies began appearing gloriously at the table in the living room: fruit, sweets, nuts, tea. We started playing some music, which was wonderful, all the time looking over to the dinner table with hungry eyes and stomach ... After a few hours I finally realized, alas! ... no dinner! Chuckling to myself about my own mis-read assumptions, we finally made our departure, with our hosts finally enquiring, you DID eat dinner, right!? At the SAME moment, Nima answered yes, and I answered, no ... laughing, woops! ... (and to myself, GROOOAAAAN ... feeling like a bull in a china shop is my normal experience here in this culture, full of finesse and delicacy and subtleties ...) The stark realization that with my cloddish answer all I managed to do was to make the hosts feel so uncomfortable.

The lesson: Nima was so correct with his answer, since even when our hosts were obviously embarrassed about the lack of dinner, and when they insisted on our staying to catch a bite of something, the time was such that we needed to leave, and, A. we did not eat there, and B. with my answer, the result was only that they felt bad!!! If I had just answered along with Nima that yes, we had eaten, our hosts would have felt fine, and we would have left hungry anyway ... Sigh ... my education in the ways of the world, appropriate behaviours according to cultural differences ... hopefully, I am indeed learning something!

Closing for now ... the events, impressions and personal reflections that have unfolded since these times described here will have to wait for the next installment(s) ... including, Qom, Kashan, Esfahan, and another trip to Kurdistan - all extraordinary and vastly different highlights, so stay tuned for the next batch of news!

As always, sending much love to all,

Rowan

2006-05-08T09:28:00.000+03:30

Mon, 1 May 2006
NEWS 5 - MASHHAD

SALAAM everyone and HAPPY MAY!!! I started writing about our trip to Mashhad when we returned more than a week ago, and since then so much has been going on haven't had a chance to catch up with myself for anything, much less get this wrapped up. THANKS to all of you who have written, concerned that you haven't heard any news from me for a while. All is verrrrry very well, and hopefully soon will write about what has been going on since we returned! So, a bit of retrogression ...

MASHHAD is ... dazzling, remarkable, otherworldly, powerful beyond words ...

Three days of exclusively Persian language, with Nima's mother and two longtime family friends, which greatly contributed not only to my deepening command of the language, but also to the experience of "paradox" ... Lots and LOTS of laughter and giggling and hilarity, especially with the three of us ladies, in stark contrast to the solemnity, spiritual power and architectural grandeur of the Holy Precincts of this extraordinary pilgrimage site. An ENORMOUS privilege not only to be in this country at this time, but to go to this pilgrimage site under the wing of my two Iranian lady friends was an honour beyond imagination ...

... A correction from what I wrote earlier: Mashhad is the most important pilgrimage site for Iranian Shiites, although apparently pilgrims come from all over the world, including Iraq. The city seems to completely revolve around activities and services for these pilgrims, approximately 12 million per year!!! (according to my 2004 Lonely Planet - Iran guide book ...)

For those of you who are unfamiliar, here is a quote from Lonely Planet: "Mashhad means 'Place of Martyrdom' and the city is extremely sacred to Shiites as the place where the direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammaed, Imam Reza, died in AD 817."

We flew from Tehran at night, Lady T, Lady S and me, arriving after midnight ... the atmosphere already felt charged as we were off in a taxi to Lady S's apartment, which looks out from the top (11th) floor onto a beautiful, large manicured garden complex with a wonderful, perfectly well-appointed playground for children ... and us, as I would later discover! ... and beyond, to mountains in the background.

Next morning we went to the mountain near the center of the city and climbed to the top, where we could get a good sense of the surrounding legendary land of Khorasan ... flat, and some rolling hills, reddish terrain with mountains in the distance. The city itself is full of patches of green, parks and trees generously complemeting varying shades of cement. The garden complex as well as the approach and pathways up the mountain are all constructed and woven together with such handsome sensitivity ... geometrically intricate stone pathways, flowing riverlets, fountains, GARDENS!!! The Persian aesthetic so gracefully springing into three dimensions, as if rising from the foundation of a Persian carpet ...

At the top, one of the ubiquitous memorials in this country for the martyrs of the Iran/Iraq war ... sadly we passed groupings of their surviving families, and paid our most sincere respects ...

Back down to the garden complex, and the also ubiquitous teahouse where we of course settled in for a refill before wandering off, back towards the apartment for lunch.

We stopped at a wonderful bread shop (I imagined that the method of baking bread there has not changed in mannnny centuries - a wood-burning oven, the bread stuck onto flat places inside ...) I managed to snap a photo (with his permission, of course!) outside next to the street - two trees sporting a thin span of wood, with nails supporting several large flat "loaves"of bread hanging in the air, presumably cooling off ... and standing next them, a gentleman in dapper business attire with a briefcase looking like he just stepped off Madison Avenue (New York City). Although not to the same degree of contradiction, it made me think of the same way in which octopus(es) are hung out to dry, all along the Greek coastline(s) ...

After lunch, we began our preparations for visiting the Haram-e Motahhar (Sacred Precincts). As if in counterbalance to the seriousness of our visit, the laughter started bubbling up, as I began struggling and confusing (ongoing!) the words: Imam, hamaam, haram (short sound on both syllables as in "cat"), haraam (long sound on the "aa" syllable as in "far"). I found my two lady companions doubling up in laughter as I was - somberly - referring to our destination as the bath (hamaam) of Imam Reza, or the forbidden (haraam), rather than the HARAM (HolyPrecinct) ... woops ...

We took off at dusk, Lady S's husband, Mr M driving, chadors in reserve, heading off towards the sites. So much has been written about this AMAZING grouping of architectural wonders; I won't go off rhapsodizing too much here ... (AND strongly recommend reading up on - and poring through photos of - this truly dazzling earthly demonstration of the heavenly ...)

(Thanks, Warren, for sending these links !!!) This site has some great photos and history about Mashhad:

http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/iran/mashad.htm

The whole experience there, dressed in full chador, listening deeply and being moved and called, deeply, by the "Azan" (call to prayer; a man's voice singing from the Holy Qor'an) ... how to begin to express this ... !?!? It brought me around full circle, deepening recognition that "religious" differences are ultimately superficial, next to the uniting force of common prayer.

The crowd of kneeling worshippers, arrayed across sprawling, patterned carpets, men on one side of a huge fountain, we women on the other, in this ultra-magnificent courtyard ... To BE a part of this undulating human rhythm in this most glorious of architectural contexts ... it is enough to lead even a nonbeliever into a stark sense of humility and communion with all human souls gathered there, and everywhere ... and the ONE GOD that connects us ALL, ever-present and ever LOVING ...

At the conclusion of the formal prayer, we moved beyond to the Shrine of Imam Reza. I had been told that it is wild in there, with all people, women on one side, men on the other, grieving, wishing to touch the actual site of Iman Reza's burial. Emotions and sensibilites rising to a feverish pitch ... My lady friends told me it is too dangerous to attempt the approach, since at any moment if someone fell down they would certainly be trampled or suffocated or ...

Pressing through, focusing on the goal in front of me, a HUGE splendid gold cage-like structure (for a good photo: http://persia.org/imagemap/mashad.html) with glass surrounding the wood inside, churning movement of women coming out, going in, moving sideways and every way ... Like taking a dive under a huge ocean wave and getting smacked to the sandy floor, not knowing which way is up ... I moved ahead, against my friends' advice but reassuring them that I would be fine. Waves, surges of movement, emotion, temperature ... bodies pressed so close that there was no effort required to remain upright, since all my weight - and of everyone else - was transferred to everyone else. We became one BEING with hundreds of legs, sharing a common goal.

At one point I felt my chador slipping off my head as it was getting stuck between the bodies smashed together. I pulled gently at it to make sure it did not get swept off into oblivion, focusing forward, with LOVE for all around, heart-energy leading the way. Finally I arrived within reaching distance of the Shrine, stuck my arm through the heads and wailing arms of the women around me, another wave rolling me away, back and forth, and yet another wave angling me within reach again ... almost.

A woman in front of me, surely an angel, took my hand and pulled it forward slightly towards the Shrine, enabling me to come into direct tactile contact with ... this extraordinary source of palpable spiritual power. This woman, an unknown soul assisting another unknown soul to experience this connecting force ... her magnanimous, selfless gesture itself an instrinsic part of the confirmation of having completed a pilgrimage.

I was, simply, brought to tears ... the energy and power of the entire experience, a transformative, life-punctuating stamp on my small self, part of the grand scheme ...

We left in silence ... in that moment there were no words, no thoughts in my head, nothing but the sense of having been ushered into the next part of my life, and a deeper understanding of something indescribably vast ... something like the movement back and forth between my "self" and the SELF ...... one drop, and the ocean ...

... And still in full chador, we walked, me feeling dazed, stumbling, gliding through the bazaar a few steps away from the complex. My transformed state of being a true pilgrim must have been visible, since a group of girls approached us and asked ME - not my 2 Iranian lady friends - for directions. Laughter among us all, warmly providing a foothold on the GROUND, again ...

We purchased a few odds and ends in the bazaar, including one chador of my own! (More about that subject later ...) Handling money, focusing on such earthly activities, also helped get me back on the ground ...

We eventually found our way back to the apartment for a simple dinner, at last recognizing my feet under me again. During the next two days, we were changed into more of a tourist mode, visiting the tomb sites of Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Attar. Paying respects to these individuals who have made such huge contributions to the world in the fields of language, science, poetry, transformative philosophy, another great honour.

We arrived at dusk in Neishabur, and at the site of Omar Khayyam's tomb, we had another burst of laughter, and another affirmation for me of our shared, silly, human condition. I have witnessed American people responding to questions about where certain places are, such as Greece, with "Oh yeah, isn't that down near Texas ...?" With our group of four, we were standing in front of the tomb of Khayyam, touching the stone in wonderment and deep appreciation, and an Iranian woman standing next to us with her group said, "Hmmm ... now, what was his name?"

Chortling, we wandered off to visit the other awe-inspiring sites there, through large bounteous, well-attended gardens and fountains, with the intoxicating aroma of jasmine pervading our contemplative mood.

One of the days we went for a fabulous lunch at a very traditional restaurant, although it was built only about 4 years ago. Fountains, arches, gardens, proportion, geometry, small alcoves for groupings of people sitting on raised carpeted floors with vast quantities of delicious food heaping up on platters ... (This kind of architecture is what made me realize quite a few years ago that "Spanish architecture", a style we are quite familiar with in Southern California, is a direct development of THIS architectual style ... one of the innumerable elements of "Eastern culture" that we in the "West", or at least I, certainly had taken for granted ... )

That night, delirious from all the input of such intense magnificence, not to mention the HUGE lunch we had eaten, we 3 ladies went downstairs at the apartment complex to walk off some of our overindulgence. Singing, walking, stopping to rub our sore stomachs ... around and around, giggling and singing and walking in large circles, weaving through the elegant garden complex until we finally settled into some equipment in the playground - a small 4-seater whirligig, do-it-yourself, pulling on the inner circle, pulling ourselves around and around, laughing hysterically, and here it was midnight, until we really begain to fear waking up the whole apartment complex ...

Another trip altogether too short to leave without feeling sad, although it was certainly a very, very nourishing and transformative time, on so many levels ... Back to Tehran, early morning flight ... and back to something of a routine, here in my new city!

Will wait til next time to write about all the things that have been unfolding during this past week ... but the summary of it all is,

W O N D E R F U L !!!!!!!!!!

lots of love to all, Rowan/Rohan/Rowhan/Sotiria (have to add my Greek name just to fill out the multiple-personality situation!)

2006-05-03T12:21:00.000+03:30

Tue, 18 Apr 2006
NEWS 4 - KURDISTAN

Greetings again, dear ones, after a totally amazing, mind-boggling time in Kurdistan ... It was altogether too short a visit, to be able to absorb the extraordinary natural beauty in those mountains, the throwback to one of the oldest settlements on the planet, the timelessness ...

We took off at night, navigating, insisting ourselves through the twists of Tehran traffic ... and finally made our way out onto the open road. Three of us in the car, our Kurdish friend driving, and we alternated cassette tapes, from old favourite classical Persian tasnifs (songs) which Nima and I were singing along with, and then some Kurdish music, also singing along ... sandwiches, fruit and the inevitable thermos of tea ... moonlight! And I kept asking them, are we in Kurdistan yet ...? Laughingly, the answer continued to be no, and then finally after I had dozed off for a while, we stopped for a fluid-exchange at THE MOST wonderful gas station I have ever experienced anywhere ... and finally my question was met with ... YES !!! (How about that, Binoushgouleh!!??) ... and the scene suddenly acquired a different depth of focus ...

It was early morning by the time we arrived there, and we staggered out of the car to greet the day and the mountains rising on the road before us ... A rather elegant bathroom facility, with marble tiles and very high level, precise workmanship ... one of the most astounding demonstrations of "paradox" ... together with the squat toilets and the perfectly aligned aluminum doors and obviously great attention to detailing, there was no roof!!! I imagined
what it must be like in the winter, with snow and/or rain gracing the whole intimate experience ...

Wonderful colourful mural-like paintings on a wall, depicting cartoon-like characters in various phases of filling up their cars with gas and having it leak all over the ground ... TOO BAD I did not have my camera handy ... (and too bad the one I have with me is definitely of the low-tech variety anyway ... hopefully can acquire a digital with computer-posting abilities along the way sooooon!!!)

There were some workers, building some sort of brick wall ... all with the most extraordinary care, I do not recall seeing anywhere else ... and the workers wearing of course the elegant traditional shalvar, baggy pants that is the norm for Kurdish men's dress ...

Trundling up the mountain, winding up and down and around, and finally we reached Sanandaj for a quick buzz around town and a breakfast ... The timelessness of this part of the world has such a strange effect ... transformative and time-stopping ... stepping off into another mind-frame and reckoning of what constitutes "reality" ...

I wanted to hang around longer, but off we zipped, rising and winding and finally stopping for another tea at an outdoor, glorious oasis-like roadside spot with Ibrahim Tatlises wailing out over loudspeakers, singing along with him (one of - if not THE most celebrated singer of Turkish popular music, who is Kurdish ...). I felt instantly reconstituted ... the common denominator factor of: here we are in Iran, and listening to what is normally associated with Turkish culture ... and having it be so natural ...

Off again, till finally arriving in our friend's village ... (sigh ... I really could write for weeks about the whole experience there - only 2 days! - and will keep on doing that, but gotta keep it short for now...)

Screaching up the last stretch before the village, we came up to a traffic cop in the middle of the road, dressed in rather starchy, elegant, formal police attire (another odd contradiction, out here in the countryside, with village life emanating from every direction ...). Our friend driving slowed down a bit, but apparently not enough, since the police officer looked straight at him, with a kind of parental expression, head pitched slightly, and shook his finger vigorously, scoldingly. We all burst into laughter (I think also the officer!) ... and as soon as we passed him, velocity increasing again, we were offffffffffffff ....

There is a magnificent lake by the village, and we went out for a boat-peddling ride in a large plastic yellow swan-boat, while the restaurant folks went to fetch our requested fresh fish ... Delicious, coal-roasted ... dazzled by the whole scenery, and the lack of sleep certainly had its hallucinatory effects!

Back to catch a nap finally, then out for another walk in the dusk by the lake ... where we were totally enchanted by an enormous chorus of FROGS!!! Couldn't pull myself away from the layers of sounds, melodic and rhythmic harmonies, the changes in dynamics, subtleties ... We walked along the lake shore for hours in the rising moonlight, mesmerized by this truly astounding musicial experience.

I can see I am rattling on here and can't stop to edit ... as usual writing on the fly ... so I will try to summarize ...

... Found some good goodies at a local musical instrument store ... wanted to wander around those streets, but toooooooooo bad no time ...

... Music with friends of friends, a great Kurdish singer and his wife from Esfahan playing santour (hammered dulcimer) so sooo beautifully ...

... Visit to a village on the other side of the lake, to get some meat at the preferred butcher ... who has rather ingeniously devised his chopping-block out of a huge old mortar shell, stood on end reaching our waists, with a big hunk of wood cut to fit into the top ... ploughshares from swords ... (the owner was delighted - and posed accordingly - when I asked permission to take a photo, and hopefully it will turn out ... gotta find a film developing situation here ...)

... A trip to Howraman, one of the oldest continually inhabited spots ... and only 10 kilometers from the Iraqi border, on the other side of rather wall-like mountains, where the Kurds from this village and others nearby retreat for the summer. How to express what that village is like ... vertically configured, verrrrry steep slope, houses stacked, stepped up on top of each other ... the roof of one house is the courtyard/"balcony" for the house above. Faces and bodies so strong and proud and handsome ... We walked the length of the village, past the playground for the school kids, kind of a rounded indentation in the mountain, with earth and houses and huge boulders hanging rather precariously over the whole scene ... the elegance of the men's dress, shalvar, jacket, cumberbund ... the colours of the women's dress ...

Speechlessly, we headed back up the mountain, winding up and down around again for a picnic. Hugely expansive, vast space defined by green rolling waves of hills, mountains with snow in the background ... At one point an extra jolt of energy came through as a pickup truck went swooshing by with about 6 men in the back, singing and playing daff!!! I wanted to just jump up and join them ...

Ripping ourselves away ... back down to earth, and back to Tehran by overnight bus from Sanandaj ... Arriving 6 am, sleepless, but so full of energy and high spirits ...

And tonight we are off to Mashhad, most important pilgrimage destination for Shiite Muslims ... with friends of Nima's family.

... The adventures, goodwill and humanity just keep on arising from this extraordinary ground ... enchanting!!!

For now, signing off, with much love to all!
Rowan/Rohan ... hmmm how about Rowhan ...

P.S. If you have not received earlier mailings and would like to (this
is news #4) ... and/or if you do NOT want to receive any of these
rattling, rushed, sloppy and unpolished renderings, PLEASE let me
know!!!)

2006-05-03T12:16:00.000+03:30

Wed, 12 Apr 2006
NEWS 3 - TEHRAN

Dear Everyone

First of all - just to complete the last part about Sizdah Bedar, I forgot to mention another point that makes that day so significant. The sizdah (13) that is being thrown away is being done on the 13th day of the first month called Farvardin, and therefore the 13th day of the New Year ... (It seems to me so much more appropriate that the New Year coincides with the first day of Spring - rather than in the darkness ofWinter ... ?!?!?)

Second of all, just a bit - rather quickly since we are leaving soon - of a recapitulation of the last week: We (Nima and I) met with representatives of the government, my official hosts here, at the guesthouse where I am staying, which is owned by the government. These two gentlemen could NOT have been more gracious and hospitable, checking to see what I might need here, enquiring about my comfort and satisfaction with my housing situation, which I AM, TOTALLY- it is sooo comfortable, with great views over the rooftops of Tehran, with GREAT HOT WATER!!! - a truly wonderful luxury ...

I tried to explain in my rather broken (but developing, YEAH!!!) Persian language, what this culture has meant to me, since I was a teenager and happened to find myself at a concert of Classical Persian music, Santur and Tombak (hammered dulcimer and hand drum, respectively), in Hollywood, of all places. Searching for meaning and substance in that time of my life, and in that environment, was not easy, to put it mildly!!!

And then at that concert, I was brought to tears, profoundly ... and for the first time in my life, through all the plastic trappings of the tv/film industry, FINALLY, here was something REAL. The effect of that experience was stunning ... and opened up something SOOO deep inside myself ... and continues to this day ... countless "coincidences", drawing me into MUSIC ...

I tried to explain to these gentlemen that Iranian Culture, including music, poetry, philosophy, the warm hospitable-ness of Iranian people, etc, has truly given me my life, and I am so deeply, deeply grateful for that.

What I have since realized is that this music, architecture, carpets, and on and on ... aesthetic sensibility, is not only BEAUTIFUL ... but the SCIENCE at its foundation opens a window into the nature of ... reality ..... OK I can hear some of you grumbling about my words being hokey or something like that ... but TRULY, as I have studied a bit about Islamic Art, and the concepts of proportion, geometry and the interrelatedness of everything, the depth and power of these manifestations provide a key for understanding - and EXPERIENCING - the dynamics of the laws of nature (Fibonacci series, Golden Section, etc...) ... and oneself as a part of the harmonious Grand Totality ...

And HERE I AM in PERSIA !!! I still am pinching myself, to make sure I am not just dreaming this all up ...

Also last week Nima and I went to visit Ostad (Master) Mohammad Reza Lotfi, who by another stroke of extraordinary kismet, happens to also be here in Tehran now. He is the World Class performing Artist and authority about the old tradition of Persian Classical music, and I have had the unspeakably great honour of studying with him and performing with him in several concert tours.

Next day Nima took me to his music school, where I met quite a few wonderful students and friends of his. I relayed some of my feelings (above), and also about fusion music - since I come from lots of experience with mixtures of various (first and foremost, with the FIRST fusion of Middle Eastern music and jazz, Sudan Baronian's group, Taksim, based in New York City). It has ALLLL been great, and yet I have been hungering for sooo long to understand the roots, and meaning, and source - and for sure, for me, Persian Classical (Radif) music holds the key ...

At Nima's school I had the chance to play a HUGE ceramic tombak used for Zurhaneh (ancient men's gymnastics) - which was so heavy I could barely lift it! ... The great pleasure of visiting with some longtime cherished Iranian friends, who also just happen to be here now, including two that I have known for at least 15 years, from my earlier involvements with Middle Eastern and particularly Persian music in New York.

... A visit and yoga class with another dear friend really helped get me inside my body again, after all the uproar leading up to my arrival ...

... A sumptuous dinner party at the very lovely home of a dear friend (who has just returned to Tehran and is running a company here, after 33 years in America), and Nima and I played a bit for the guests ... Thanks to Nima's astounding musicianship, and the beautiful setting ... delicious food, company, candelight ... wonderful poetry reciting from Nima and a few of the gathered souls ... we were all transported ... friends from the past and new friends ...

... Visit to the Jom'e Bazaar (Friday market) ... allll kinds ofwonderful old and some new goodies - odd trinkets, wonderful textiles, anything you could imagine (somehow reminiscent of my favourite NewYork City Canal Street), with some musicians playing soulfully from a corner. Found quite a few wonderful treasures which I was lucky enough to come away with, with the help of Nima's parents!

... A birthday party for one of Nima's sisters ... a great celebration! Some of my own friends came too, one Iranian friend from California, and also a new Greek friend ... And THAT story is rather great:

There is a wonderful and by far my favourite restaurant in Greece, right downstairs in my neighbourhood in Athens. It is known far and wide as a very traditional place, super traditional Greek food, and quite an important gathering place for all sorts of Greeks who come there from all over the city. And, the owners are ... of course, Iranians!!! My last night in Athens before coming here I stopped by to say goodbye (and to grab some supper), and the owner (who of course is an old friend of old friends of mine there) told me that his wife just happens, also (!!!) to be here in Tehran now, visiting with his brother... I had not met her before ... So I gave her a call and she came to the party with two companions ... FULL CIRCLE! It was so wonderful to get back into the Greek spirit and language rhythm with my new friend. Also some of Nima's musician friends came, and we had a great time, soaring off into poetry and music and all in all, a most amazing and completion-making party and gathering and celebration!!! Happy Birthday, Shiva!!!

Also here at Nima's house are two love-birds, who really do hang around in their cage, constantly pruning each other and kissing and carrying on ... they are adorable! ... and, music lovers! Whenever Nima and I are playing, they sit in rapt attention, watching every move of our hands, and dancing! ... swaying back and forth in perfect rhythm!!!

Next, a visit to a great instrument maker here ... came away with all sorts of wonderful treasures. Visits with friends of friends, and new friends ... and on and on it goes!!!

... Visit to the home of musician friends of another friend ... great jam session ... great connections!

... Visit with a professional Iranian tour guide whose English is impeccable, an expert in ancient Mesopotamian and Persian history ... for sure, a tour with such an expert would be greatly beneficial ...!!!

And third of all ... Two days ago, I was sitting at the kitchen table here at Nima's house, talking with his mother (who along with his whole family, has been ushering me into Persian language so smoothly and graciously!!!), with my Iran guidebook open on the table to the section about Kurdistan ... and his mother told me that an old family friend would be coming for dinner, who is Kurdish, and from the SAME village whose name was staring up at me from the page of the book, open before me ...

What to say, other than: the Muses are BUSY!!! ... In a little while, after lunch (which I smell coming from the kitchen ... YUMYUM ... ), we are going with this family friend to his village in KURDISTAN!!!!! And I am in search of the women dervishes who play daff (one of the instruments I play - a huge frame drum with chains inside, causing a swooshing sound while being played), so I can catch up with their spirit ... and to just BE in the mountains of Kurdistan ... another very longtime dream ... (good grief, another language hurdle ...!!!)

Soooo, unedited, quickly written, thanks for your patience and as always sending MMMMMMMMMMMMUCH LOVE to all, and next news, after this remarkably-timed voyage!!! (and/or when I can find another internet situation ...!)

- Rowan (Rohan, comparable Persian and I think Kurdish name ...)

2006-05-03T12:07:00.000+03:30

Mon, 10 Apr 2006
NEWS 2 - TEHRAN

Dear All

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLL the nine days since I arrived have been whizzing by sooooo quickly ... zabane farsi (Persian language) is coming along!!! And also finally I feel like my feet are on the ground ... after all the topsy-turviness of getting everything in order in Athens, the stress, the RACE!!! Finally I have discovered that when everything is floating around in a fog, blurriness of everything - visa-anticipation, travel back and forth and here and there, exhaustion, being on the other side of the world, etc - GRAVITY is the great organizing principle ... AT LEAST things - and me - can be located on... the ground!

It's old news by now, since the end of the celebrations for the Persian New year are just about winding down by now ... But from last Sunday, April 2, here goes ...

Sizdah Bedar is a wonderful celebration, representing the final achieveable stage of catharsis, launching the New Year with clean house, clean consciousness, the release of anything that could interfere with the unfoldment of GOOD. It is a picnic, an outdoor fest in the fresh spring air (a universal human event to be sure, only with a different twist, depending on cultural orientation ...)

Families gathering together, eating and talking and drinking tea, playing backgammon and throwing balls, parading around, leisurely, jubilantly! We walked with Nima's family to a park ... a visual feast. Tents set up on the lawn, children running and skipping for joy, vendors selling ice cream, coca cola (I love seeing that written in Persian script!) and all sorts of amusements for this ancient traditional time of celebration.

At the beginning of Nowruz (New Year) every home is decked out sumptuously with special representations of nature and renewal, including a clump of earth with new grass. The close of the two-week holiday is Sizdah Bedar - which means "throwing out the 13" - considered a number of less-than-the-best fortune. The final gesture is the throwing of the clump of grassy earth into a river, where it can be swept off into oblivion. Of course in the middle of Tehran or any other big city, it is not always so easy to find a river - so as we strolled through the day, these tossed off, fuzzy green remnants could be found all over the neighbourhood ... in water channels that weave through the streets, on top of newspaper stands, car hoods, park benches, a truly lovely sight, and a wonderful reaffirmation of the ultimate ground of Nature.

Moving along through this wonderful sense of unfoldment, we walked around the old American Embassy, a sharp contrast to the gentle joy of the day. The compound is walled off and full of trees, rare in the area, and HUGE - seems like one entire city block.

Next attention-grabber, very nearby on our New Year stroll, we came by the Greek Embassy and Orthodox church next door. It made me feel very happy to know where the Greeks are, here in Persia. Having just arrived from Athens, center of the world, I felt uplifted and anchored at the same time.

We returned to Nima's house and had a delicious dinner with the family and a guest who is an expert in the history of Iranian art and architecture. Fascinating converstaion, which eventually turned into singing and music ... New Year off to certainly a very, very wonderful start!

OK think I better close here for now ... I smell another delicious dinner on its way. Of course so many wonderful things have been happening since last Sunday ... well, more news soon!

Much love to all, and HAPPPPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Rowan

2006-05-01T17:46:00.000+03:30

Mon, 3 Apr 2006
NEWS 1 - TEHRAN
Dearest Friends!

Can't stay online long right now - writing from a friend's computer ... It was an amazing amazing trip, just arriving here ... will write more later at some point with more details ... the hassle, the stress, the waiting, the jumping through hoops - the trip to Athens and alllllllllllllllllll the work there, nonstop, then backtracking to Berlin to pick up visa, then to Frankfurt ... it has been a mission impossible scenario, relay race, with full adrenalin ... and lots of help and support from some extraordinary people, guiding through every imaginable detail of putting all this together ... a billlllion little puzzle pieces ... WOWOWOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The flight over was superb. Sat next to the perfect person - an elderly, soulful Armenian lady who has been living in Frankfurt for 15 years - originally from Tehran. She is so lovely, and we sat together and were speaking in Persian language (including lots of sign language!) all the way over - except when she was singing some beautiful old Armenian songs, and then we sang a few together. It was a priceless, heart-ful voyage. (how bout that, Uncle Sudie!!!)

Arrived, only a few glitches about my visa ... then I was met by charming Nima, my guide here, an extraordinarily talented musician and poet. We went to Darband today, a wonderful mountain in the north of Tehran, and walked and climbed and huffed and puffed and had tea and then delicious food and more tea. Then to the museum, old home of Reza Shah. Now I am at his family's computer ... we just had a delicious meal of ghormeh sabzi, my favorite food!

OK dear everybody gotta close now, without even editing ... but truly I feel so at home here ... the people are lovely, warm and so caring and looking after me so thoughtfully. We even just had a wonderful jam session.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLOTS OF LOVE to you all, til soon

rowan