The album Shurideh (Ecstatic), a work by Dastan Ensemble and Parissa won the “Shock of the Month” title by the monthly French journal, Le Monde du Musiques (World of Music).
• Written by Bretrand Dikal (Le Monde du Musique, number 278, July & August, 2003)

Shurdieh
Performed by: Dastan Ensemble and Parissa
Recorded by: Radio Berlin
Release by: Network (Germany)

Consists of a double CD
CD 1: composed by Saeed Farajpoori and Hamid Motebassem
CD 2: composed by Hamid Motebassem and Hossein Behroozinia

Ensemble:
Parissa Vocals
Hossein Behroozinia Barbat
Pejman Hadadi Tombak, Frame Drums
Behnam Samani Daf, Frame Drums, Dammam
Saeed Farajpoori Kemanche
Hamid Motebassem Tar

On the other side of the Rhine river, Dastan Ensemble and the singer, Parissa have presented a remarkable work. This work is released by the German label, NETWORK, which has been previously praised in this very column for their other releases such as the unparalleled Infinite Sea of Love by Alem Qasemov.

The album, Shurideh, in two parts by Hamid Motebassem, Saeed Farajpouri and Hossein Behroozi Nia, is based on the Radif of classical Persian music and consists of the two major modes of this body of music (Afshari and Dashti). The beautiful lyrics have been selected from the treasure of Persian literature and the music is performed with virtuosity and great attention to detail.

This work is free of any unnecessary frills and showy displays, and this understated, sincere quality is evident in the singing (in traditional Persian music, women’s singing is not frivolous or tumultuous) as well as in the attractive highs and lows of the music. Even when the melodies accelerate, this speeding up does not effect the well-proportioned and harmonious musicianship of these five masters. Parissa also aims to present her masterful and profound singing in a sweet, fathomable way.

In essence, one has to say that the economical hardships of traveling, recording and performing music abroad has not had a profound effect on Persian music as it has for example on the music from central Asia. As a result of these difficulties, the music of this latter region often seems simple and put together without rhyme or reason and it is for this reason that its beauty or relevance remains distant and out of touch to the non-native listener.

Here, however, in this double CD, we are faced with a work that has been created with the greatest attentiveness both on the part of the singer and the musicians, serving the poetry of Rumi, Hafez, Saadi and Attar. The one-hour length of each of the two CDs is sufficient to understand this uniqueness.

Bertrand Dikal
Translated from the Persian by Reza Motebassem