TEHRAN – The 6th edition of the Ayenedar Regional and Ritual Music Festival has put its focus on Turkmen music this year.

Groups and musicians from northeastern Iranian cities and the Qazvin Plain, which are home to the Iranian Turkmen population, will be invited to perform during the festival, the director of the festival, Ali Maghazei, told the Persian service of MNA on Wednesday.

“We have made trips to the regions to conduct research and to select groups and musicians to perform at this event, which will be held at Tehran’s Rudaki Hall during December,” he said.

“The definition of art among the Iranian tribes is different from the ordinary definitions given in modern societies,” Maghazei stated.

“Art is part of daily life in Iranian tribes. Consequently, artists working in each art form have their own special roles, for example in sad or happy events in the tribes, and many of the artists make a living as an artist,” he added.

He said that all the performances over the past five editions of the festival have been recorded, and expressed his hope that the collection would be released in several albums in 2021.

The previous edition of the festival put its spotlight on folk performances from the northern provinces of Gilan, Golestan and Mazandaran.

Photo: Folk musicians perform during 5th Ayenedar Regional and Ritual Music Festival at Tehran’s Rudaki Hall on December 1, 2018. (Ayenedar Regional and Ritual Music Festival)

MMS/YAW