Maryam & Ensemble Barbad

Maryam Akhondy has been discovered by the famous actor Ostad Esmail Mehrtasch when she was 18 years old and thus had the chance to study classical singing at the academy of Arts in Teheran. She studied the "radif" the special Iranian music-system and also theater-science in Iran.With her Ensemble Barbad Maryam does either classical, so-called Art-Music, or she presents her latest project ‘Sarmast’ which means translated intoxicated. Maryam Akhondy felt intoxicated each time she became engrossed in the very lyrical poems of the great Persian poets such as Hafez (1320-1389), Attar (1175-1251) and Khayyam (1065-1151). Thus inspired, Maryam set some of these texts to music to, as she says, "express in my own way the feeling of joy when reading these poems".Thus inspired, Maryam set some of these texts to music to, as she says, „express in my own way the feelings of joy when reading.“ The simple melodies that are derived from the radif (the order and systematics of Persian music) have also helped her to find out some more about herself and her spiritual roots.The flowery language of Persian poets descriebs both the concrete and the spiritual world. The unity of these two worlds can only be experienced in ecstasy. Only then music, dance, wine, belief and love gain the same weight, texts and terms become interchangeable and stand as synomyms for each other in turn.All the songs on the CD are own compositions in the style of Persian Art Music.The CD "Sarmast" (translated: intoxicated) has been recorded with: Maryam Akhondy - lead vocals and composer of most songsNariman Hodjati on tar, tar-bass and setarMasih Madani on tombak, daf, dayere and zarbe zurkhaneSima Khaleghi, Vajihe Ghiiyasi and Nasi Shahin as choir