TEHRAN-Two music albums by Iranian musicians are among the best albums selected by Songlines in its May issue. This British magazine covers music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion, featuring artists from around the globe.

“The Sky is the Same Color Everywhere” by Iranian kamancheh (spike fiddle) virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor and Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté is the winner of the fusion music at the 16th Songlines Music Awards, chosen by the readers and critics. “Luka” by Mohsen Sharifian has also been selected as one of the top 10 Bagpipe Albums.

“The Sky is the Same Color Everywhere” has been described in the magazine as “almost an hour of spontaneous stringed magic.” Both Kalhor and Diabaté have done numerous collaborations, but this Iran-meets-West Africa project was a first for them. 

The bowed kamancheh (although Kalhor frequently plucks his instrument) and plucked kora weave around each other creating a continuously evolving tapestry. 

“Toumani and I come from different places but are producing one thing – united rather than divided,” Kalhor said about the collaboration. “We are all living in the same world. That is the message.”

The two musicians came together in 2016 at the Morgenland Festival in Osnabrück, Germany, which specializes in new collaborations like this. They had no preparation except for a sound check and the piece evolved spontaneously. Both performers come from musical cultures where improvisation plays a major role, which is why it works so well and sounds so organic. The recording was made in Paris after a handful of concerts following on from Morgenland; the improvisatory feeling is still fresh.

“The Sky is the Same Color Everywhere” takes its title from the poem “Ballad of the Wayfarer” by Iran’s Mehdi Akhavan-Sales (1929-1990). With migration an increasing problem in the world, the idea of being united rather than divided is increasingly important. “Kayhan and I may be from different countries, but we’re coming from the same place,” Toumani said.

Kalhor, 60, is one of Iran’s acclaimed artists. After studying music in Rome, he moved to Canada, where he graduated from the music program at Carleton University in Ottawa.

A master of the kamancheh, he is widely known for his stirring improvisations, exquisite compositions, and extensive collaboration with international artists including Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, New York-based string quartet Brooklyn Rider, American string band Kronos Quartet, Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov, Turkish musician and singer Erdal Erzincan, and many other orchestras around the world.

Kalhor has composed works for and played alongside the famous Iranian traditional vocalists Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri. He has also composed and performed with the Indian sitar player Shujaat Husain Khan and Indian tabla player Swapan Chaudhuri in the group Ghazal.

Mohsen Sharifian’s “Luka,” released in 2022 by Zang Records, features Lian Band, Okolou Faramarzi, and Aka Safavi.

Born in the Southern Iranian province of Bushehr, multi-instrumentalist and composer Mohsen Sharifian is among the most important Iranian artists in preserving and promoting traditional folk music. His ney-anban bagpipe plays a prominent role on this wonderfully evocative set, where clashing hand percussion rhythms circle underneath intoxicating melodies and drones.

Bushehri music is an offshoot of ‘bandari’ (literally meaning ‘of the port’) music, common in the southern coastal areas around the Persian Gulf. Sharifian and Lian Band have performed worldwide, from the U.S. to the Far East.

SS/SAB