Tag Archives: SoSaLa

Iranian New Wave Music: Sehrang – an Iranian accoustic trio greets the world from Europe!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Almost every month I find out about the existence of an Iranian musician or band in or outside of Iran. Since beginning of last year I have been aware of an new Iranian music scene which I would like to call the Iranian New Wave MUSIC (INWM). Most of these Iranian musicians who represent INWM either live and perform in Europe, in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, Holland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and in the US, or in Iran hiding in their homes. Performing their music at private parties or at European embassies in Tehran. All of them have one thing in common: searching for their own voices or identities. Like their foreign counterparts they want to contribute to the “pluralistic-modern world of music” and be a part of it without forgetting their Iranian roots.

Testing the Limits of Collaboration - painting by Nicky Nodjoumi

Testing the Limits of Collaboration – painting by Nicky Nodjoumi

Most of these musicians are into jazz, blues, reggae, electronica, indie-rock, heavy metal, Flamenco, Indian classical music, Latin music, Iranian folk music, Western contemporary and classical music. They either like to experiment with their traditional instruments, such as tar, santour, dombak, ney and daf, hooking them up to a lap-top in order to create sounds which are beyond of the original sound of that specific instrument. Or they play foreign instruments from the beginning.

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NY Musician Feature: Michael Wimberly (P.2) – 2 book releases, 1 video interview and 2 workshop videos!

cajon-pack1Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Michael Wimberly set off for New York in 1982, quickly carving out a niche for himself as an eclectic percussionist. It was there he performed in duets, quartets and larger ensembles sculpting his unique musical voice.  For example, with Steve Coleman’s Five Elements (including David Gilmore, Marvin Smitty’ Smith and Ravi Coltrane) he collaborated on many projects, live and in the studio, in which radical conceptual pieces were refined for performance.

In addition to being a drummer, pianist and percussionist, Michael Wimberly is also a composer and sound designer who has written for prestigious New York dance companies (Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Urban Bush Women and Joffrey Ballet), Theaters and Independent Film Makers.  Although his percussive repertoire is replete with traditional rhythms, Michael is known for playing cutting-edge music involving spontaneous improvisation and composed works with International Symphony Orchestras.

Michael holds a Masters Degree from The Manhattan School of Music and is currently a professor at Bennington College in Vermont and a faculty member at The Collective (formerly Drummers Collective). He is the founder of “Power of Drum”, a percussive arts and education event held annually in NYC, which has now expanded to Portugal and Spain.

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A Personal Concert Review: SoSaLa…Sohrab…love to pursue his challenging sounds…

IMG_3465Date: June 28, 2013IMG_7969
Venue: Clemente Soto Velez Center (NY)
Text and photos by Mehran Farahbakhsh

Most musicians bring their sounds into music, that is what music making is about. Sounds to refine to the musicians imaginations, in case of this young man:). SoSaLa‘s Sohrab. Somewhat there is a different jazz in play, Sohrab takes the music and brings it to his sounds, by that I mean, he uses the established sounds of music and evolves it to outside boundaries of recognition, it is his rebellious nature, against the ideas of entertainment, or danceable, or may be your ordinary expectation of sounds, musical tunes are used nostalgically as he is taking you somewhere, an unknown edge of imagination, the high energy state of chaos.

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Music Listings – 6/24 through 6/30

1. THE PHANTOM FAMILY HALO/CHRIS GRIER (TO LIVE AND SHAVE IN L.A.) & GIBBY HAYNES (BUTTHOLE SURFERS) ACOUSTIC DUO/MARTIN BISI/INVISIBLE THINGS/DIAMOND TERRIFIER

Date: Monday, June 24, 2013
Time: 7:30pm
Venue:  Bowery Electric (327 Bowery, New York, NY 10003)
Price: $8
Genre: indie/folk rock

“The show has a surprising number of ‘names’ to throw around. at least ‘names’ to post-rock and psych devotees. Z’s have be shaking things up in NYC.. the side project should be awesome – Phantom Family Halo toured with Lydia Lunch’s Retrovirus last year – Gibby from Butthole Surfers should be totally, yes,, interesting.
and there’s more” – Martin Bisi
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