World Spinning's Lark Clark interviews Farnaz Ohadi -- the Iranian-born artist tells about the nearly-paralyzing culture shock she experiences when her family emigrated to Canada, and how her  music -- a unique blend of flamenco music sung in Farsi -- helped her find her feet.

World Spinning

Farnaz Ohadi - Freedom through Flamenco

First track of the album "Bird Dance" begins with “Bird Dance” when the bird of far away land is called to sing but is not able to due to constrains put on her but she needs to sing anyway – dedicated to all women of Iran who are not able to raise their voices in songs in public

Lyrics: 
Poem by: Fereydoon Moshiri

By the sea, the breeze, water, and music
the keening of the surf is broken on rocks
only the sea knows about our hearts
about the tempest that brews in our constrained chests
I gave my heart for safe keeping to the chest of the mountain
in the depths of the untouched forests
the setting sun sets in the meadows
In the endless forests of sorrow
Sing oh drunken bird of faraway land
because your voice brings happiness and light
the cage is small and my heart is trapped but I
Have a thousand songs that are as passionate as you
************************
There is unrest in the song of the water
where would the restless soul hide?
At its height, joy of life, the passion of flight
as its low, sadness, its silence is death, is a swamp
By the sea, the roar of the surf and blizzard
The night is wrapped in the moist wind
the gaze of the moon behind the dark cloud
like the gaze of the fish fallen on dirt
Sing oh drunken bird of faraway land
because your voice brings happiness and light
the cage is small and my heart is trapped but I
Have a thousand songs that are as passionate as you
************************
By the sea, the night is filled with uproar
The surf rages, beware, beware
in the tempest where a thousand cries go unheard
How can the night owl be heard?
Sing oh drunken bird of faraway land
because your voice brings happiness and light
the cage is small and my heart is trapped but I
Have a thousand songs that are as passionate as you

Bird Dance

The journey continues with “Sharab” where the art becomes a vehicle to discovering ones truth, to find joy in the moment, in the pleasure of song and not worry about regrets of yesterday and anxieties of tomorrow. Once that truth has been found it is worth treasuring.

Lyrics: 
Poem by: Khayam

Without fine wine, I can not live
without a drink, I can’t bear the weight of this body
I live for the moment that the wine server may say
come, take another cup of wine
and then I have to say, no more
****************************
When the day has come and gone, don’t fret it
don’t ho and hum about tomorrow that has not arrived yet
Don’t build a foundation based on what has passed and
what is yet to come
be merry at this present moment and don’t waste your life
**********************************
Drink up, drink up that the universe has plans for your
demise
aspires to take your life and do away with you
sit on the green lush grass and drink up the clear wine
because this same grass will soon grow from the dirt that
will come from our bodies when we die
******************************
How long should I worry whether if have possessions or not
or if I have a life of happiness or not
Fill my wine cup because I will never know
if this breath I am taking, may be my last or not
**********************
Without fine wine, I can’t live
without a drink; I can’t pull the weight of this body

Sharab (Wine)

In “Hesar” the singer is plagued by anxiety and depression from the start of her journey, the feeling of being trapped by constrains of a new language, and new culture and the confusion about the new identity. It speaks to the turmoil that all new immigrants experience. But these constrains are not by choice. The words are trapped inside and the wall surrounding the artist feels insurmountable and suffocating.

Lyrics:
Poem by: Fereydoon Moshiri 

Thank you for asking after me, the broken hearted
remember me so my light may stay lit
Oh frightened spirit, greetings from me to you as well
the medicine of my pains, is your poetry
Oh friend from whose cup of poetry, Shiraz has become
drunk
I see you holding audience with Hafez, a cup at hand
Your personality, where it may take flight to the highest
heights
the sea dances, ebbs and flows in your embrace
****************************
What is it I am saying, behind this iron fence?
what am I seeking among these hazy nights?
What is it I hunt for in this strange city?
behind these impure walls?
One night, the breath will say, no more
and the breath will stop beating
A blind bird will open its wings
and will take my life with it as it flies away
*********************************
The innocent are tired of this plague
daily struggle, is the death of humanity
I shall never share my heart’s sorrow with anyone
so your kind soul may not become depressed
I crave someone who speaks my language
but there is no one, and it kills me
I have hidden my turmoil in my throat
I am alone with my melodic whimpers
*****************************
I am alone and blind, my joy and passion has died
sadness, has stolen my happiness
Our days, pass us by in the dark alleys of the night
life, even for a moment, has not fulfilled our aspirations
N
o empathy, no goal, no more wishes
I fall deeper and deeper in a dark well
a cold wind, blows in the garden of memories
a dry leave, is taken away by the wind ...
***************************
What is it I am saying, behind this iron fence?
what am I seeking among these hazy nights?
What is it I hunt for in this strange city?
behind these impure walls?
One night, the breath will say, no more
and the breath will stop beating
A blind bird will open its wings
and will take my life with it as it flies away

Hesar (Gate)

In “star” the journey moves the artist slowly outside of herself, realizing that her ego and her earthly troubles and constrains are insignificant in comparison to the universe and divine love. She starts to look beyond herself for answers and for a guide. The song is about the search for spiritual answers.

Lyrics: 
Poem by: Karim Fakoor

Tonight, my head is filled with a certain passion
Tonight, I have a certain light in my heart
Tonight, again, I am floating at the highest of heights
Telling stars my secrets
Tonight, I am all joy and glee
as if I am far away from this earthly world
I will take flight from ecstasy, I will reach the heavens
I will sing the song of being, for every nymph and angel
I will bring a storm to the heavens
I will pour the wine, I will break the goblet
*******************
I will speak to the moon and Pleiades
And will look for the beautiful face of my beloved
I will find new life by these nights
I will compel the moon and Venus to dance
I feel out of my body, and from pure joy
I have a tune on my lips

Stars

Improvised virtuosity of Sadaf Amini on Santour.

Santour Solo

In “Haj” the artists embarks on the journey of self discovery – The first part (Solea) of the song is about the search and the journey for finding the purpose of self, of obsessive love and quest for ones truth. The second part (Solea por Bulerias) is about finding that purpose and slowly coming to terms with its consequences and beginning to embrace them. Then the final segment (Bulerias)
is understanding that once that truth is found and the cup of being is filled with it, then nothing can break it and destroy it and it doesn’t even need as much protection and care because it is not breakable. Once the truth is discovered and finds its home in one’s heart it no longer is vulnerable.

Lyrics:
Poem by: Rozebeh Bemani

I bow in prayer to you, there is no entry to Mecca
I have worshipped you endlessly, so I don’t need to perform
Hajj anymore
No matter where I gaze, my prayers are not really ever enough
You bind me, that you may free me even more
you don’t wound me, that you may infect me even more
I turn away from everyone, so you may believe my devotion
************************
Poem by: Siyavash Kasrayee

Drop by drop, dying
and bringing the night gathering to dawn
living bathed in light
dying in silence
Dying with a smile
and bringing to close
the oldest question of all time
to be, or not to be
************************
Poem by: Baba Taher Oriyan

The night is dark, land full of stones, and I am drunk
The wine cup fell from my hand yet it did not break
The one holding the cup, guarded it well
otherwise, many a cups will break even without falling

Hajj

In “Vatan”, once the artist has found her footing and a path that feels right, now she can look back at where she has come from, her homeland that has made her into who she is. Now that she has been blessed with the gift of music and her art she now acknowledges the responsibility. She hopes to give voice to other Iranian female singers, by singing about the journey she took and others can take too.

Lyrics:
Poem by: Simin Behbahani

Once again, I will rebuild you my homeland
even if, with bricks made of my flesh
I will erect a column under your ceiling
even if, with bones of my body
I will wash away the blood off of you
with the flowing flood of my tears
Once again, a day of light [will come]
again, darkness will leave this house
I will colour my poem,
with the blue of my own sky
***********************************
Once again, I will rebuild you my homeland
even if, with bricks made of my flesh
I will erect a column under your ceiling
even if, with bones of my body
***********************************
Even if I have been dead for a hundred years
I will stand guard over my grave
I will rip apart the heart of the enemy
with my unforgettable roar
**********************************
Once again, I will rebuild you my homeland
even if, with bricks made of my flesh
I will erect a column under your ceiling
even if, with bones of my body

Vatan

In “Persian dance”, the final leg of the journey, the artist calls to the dancer to get up, let loose his/her hair and knock on every door; to call on others to join in the joyful dance of life. The artist offers her instrument, her voice as the vehicle that may carry the dancer in her journey.

Lyrics:
Siyavash Kasrayee – Persian dance

Like the white flowers of early morning
in the embrace of darkness
bloom, bloom
Get on your feet and let loose the folds of your dress
open the knot of your slumbering tresses
be the enchantress, be evanescent
When the perfume of poetry rises from my instrument
glow gently and float, like the clouds, like air
************************
Embrace the strands of your hair with your fingers
hold my gaze for a moment and then steal it away
Embrace the strands of your hair with your fingers
pull away, show devotion, offer a prayer
Pull your crystalline arm to your chest and then open them
pound the ground with both your feet and then step lightly
************************
Leap, fly, be mad
pull away from familiar circles
Leap, fly, be mad
paint and embellish and then pull away
Pull your crystalline arm to your chest and then open them
pound the ground with both your feet and then step lightly
Sometimes pick up a harp
go to every door
at every crossing
look for a new road
Gaze at every passage
linger at every stone and pebble
dance and fill the city
fill the city with uproar and clamor
************************
Like the white flowers of early morning
in the embrace of darkness
bloom, bloom
Get on your feet and let loose the folds of your dress
open the knot of your slumbering tresses
I seek you, oh tired one
I keep an eye on your wine cup
Get up, get up, get up
run away, flee
Dance drunkenly on the strings of my instrument
and when you are completely intoxicated and restless
Like the flowers that glide on water
let loose, let loose, let loose on the waves of my

Persian Dance

Partial Lyrics 
Fereydoon Moshiri - Hesar

Thank you for asking after me, the broken hearted
remember me so my light may stay lit

Oh frightened spirit, greetings from me to you as well
the medicine of my pains, is your poetry

Oh friend from whose cup of poetry, Shiraz has become drunk
I see you holding audience with Hafez, a cup at hand

Your personality, where it may take flight to the highest heights
the sea dances, ebbs and flows in your embrace

What is it I am saying, behind this iron gate?
what am I seeking among these hazy nights?

What is it I hunt for in this strange city?
behind these impure walls?

One night, the breath will say, no more
and the breath will stop beating

A blind bird will open its wings
and will take my life with it as it flies away

Hesar - Extended version - Live

All instruments - voice, piano, Hammond B3 organ, Wurlitzer 120, acoustic guitar, electric guitars, drum kit, percussion, double bass, mixing, and mastering by Michael Rush.


Song by Future Islands / Arr. Michael Rush

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.
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For Lisa and Lisa.

Seasons (Waiting on You)

Presenting Persian/Flamenco music, in both 440 and 432 Htz frequency. A unique combination of traditional and contemporary approach to Flamenco music but all set to Farsi lyrics and poetry. The lower frequency invokes a meditative state and invites contemplation and pause. The songs often  chronicle the journey of Farnaz as an artist from her childhood in Iran to her settlement in Canada and finding her authentic voice through challenges as an Iranian female singer and an immigrant. They also touch on politics, social justice in Iran as it relates to Iranian Women in particular.

Hesar - Extended version - Live

Persian/Flamenco music

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