Persiennes Diran

These five musicians fashion art music - that yet has a popular appeal - without saddling themselves with repetition or imitation. They redeploy the exhilaration of Saadi's ghazals, the poetry of Sheikh Baha'i and the great romantics of Kadjar times for today. The sophisticated sequencing of Persian music, the intertwining melodies of tar and qanun, the deft tombak drum, the profoundly rich vocals are darkly mirrored by the western viola da gamba; all gathered here to make resound the Persian poetry of the 19th century but also original new compositions. However the music has not been westernised, nor updated, nor subverted. Atine's notes are purely Persian. But of a Persia extending well beyond the geographical sphere of Iran. Persiennes d'Iran isa beautiful project to assert what it means to be Persian women nowadays