Traditional dance piece from the Greek Isles. The dance beat/style is called Syrtos, an 8/8 beat cycle counted as 123-123-12. This particular piece is from Bornova (Bournovalios Syrtos). The original song lyrics are about the pain of love. We are performing it instrumentally here. Enjoy!

1001 Nights Orchestra
featuring:

Anne Alexander: dumbek, zils, baglame (saz)
Kamran Hooshmand (artistic director): santur, guitar
Ken Maranian: clarinet
Lisa Schneider: violin
Eric Vormelker: bass
Don Weeda: accordion

Recording technician: Gerry White
Mixing technician: Tim Dittmar

Recorded in Spring 2014
Released on 17 July, 2014
Austin, Texas, USA

more info about the band at:

1001 Nights Orchestra

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1001nightsorchestra
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/1001nightsorchestra
MySpace: http://myspace.com/1001nightsorchestra
Electronic Press Kit (EPK): http://www.sonicbids.com/1001nightsorchestra

Ti Tha Yino, Ego Me Sena ("What Shall I Become, I with You?")

Improvisations in the dastgah/mode of Mahoor

A song we played in one of the early encarnations of 1001 Nights at a live concert in McAllen, Texas. It was a great night for sure!

Kamran Hooshmand: baglame/saz
Erin Foster Ghanem: jembe
Roberto Riggio: violin
Rebecca Sager: percussion

Improvisations In Mahoor - 1001 Nights Live - McAllen, TX - 1997

"Chale to kat hi jaye ga safar" ("if the journey starts, it will be completed") is a beautiful Urdu ghazal (a form of mystical verse common in Persian and Southwest Asian cultures the theme of which is usually about love) from the 1970s.

Lyric: Mustafa Zaidi
Music: Khalil Ahmad

Performed by 1001 Nights Orchestra featuring guest performers Rabia Ali and Erin Foster Ghanem

Anne Alexander: percussion
Rabia Ali: vocals, guitar
Erin Foster Ghanem: tabla
Kamran Hooshmand (director): rebab
Ken Maranian: clarinet
Don Weeda: accordion, keyboards

Performed live at Planet Music 2015, a City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department international music series on June 28, 2015 at the Asian American resource Center in Austin, Texas.

Audio engineer: Gary Luedecke
Audio mastered by: Peter Johnson

Produced by Kamran Hooshmand for 1001 Nights Cultural Productions

www.facebook.com/1001nightsorchestra

1001 Nights Orchestra's new release "Live from Austin, Texas" is available at CD Baby and all other major online retailers:

https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/1001nightsorchestra1


Chale to kat hi jaye ga safar - 1001 Nights Orchestra featuring Rabia Ali - Planet Music 2015

Sama'i is an old musical form most common in the Arab world. It's based on a 10-beat cycle and its form consists of various "khana" or "houses" the first khana establishes the main mode or maqam of the piece, in this case Bayyati. Then, instruments take turn modulating to other khanas in other maqams, for example here to rast, hijaz and saba accordingly.

All we know about this piece is that it is attributed to the Egyptian musician Ibrahim al-Aryan. This version is based on an original transcription by Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, Prof. of ethnomusicology at UCLA.

Performed by 1001 Nights Orchestra featuring guest performers Frances Elliott and Erin Foster Ghanem

Anne Alexander: darbuka/dumbek
Frances Elliott: nay
Erin Foster Ghanem: qanun
Kamran Hooshmand (director): barbat (oud)
Don Weeda: microtonal keyboards

Performed live at Planet Music 2015, a City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department international music series on June 28, 2015 at the Asian American resource Center in Austin, Texas.

Audio engineer: Gary Luedecke
Audio mastered by: Peter Johnson

Produced by Kamran Hooshmand for 1001 Nights Cultural Productions

www.facebook.com/1001nightsorchestra

1001 Nights Orchestra's new release "Live from Austin, Texas" is available at CD Baby and all other major online retailers:

www.cdbaby.com/cd/1001nightsorchestra1

Sama'i Bayyati - 1001 Nights Orchestra with special guests - Planet Music 2015

According to Laura Shannon (Hye Etch website), "`Gorani', which is sung in the chorus, apparently refers to a particular mountain range, home of the deity of war. This association gives the sense of `fighting the battle of life' to the dance and the song. Tom Bozigian also describes the movements of Daronee as `emotional gestures stemming from wars and suffering.' According to Tineke van Geel, Gorani is the dance on which Daronee is based, and it is still found in Daron, Sassoon and Shatag. In the Middle Ages, Gorani was a love song. Now, different versions of Gorani all usually refer to sad events such as a poor harvest or lost love. Daronee is still in the State Ensemble's repertoire - now followed by a fast bit to make more interesting viewing."

"Gorani" is also interesting because it is in the unusual meter of 5/4.

Performed by 1001 Nights Orchestra featuring guest performers Frances Elliott and Erin Foster Ghanem

Anne Alexander: daff
Frances Elliott: nay
Erin Foster Ghanem: tombak (zarb)
Kamran Hooshmand (director): barbat (oud)
Ken Maranian: clarinet
Lisa Schneider: violin
Eric Vormelker: bass
Don Weeda: accordion

Performed live at Planet Music 2015, a City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department international music series on June 28, 2015 at the Asian American resource Center in Austin, Texas.

Audio engineer: Gary Luedecke
Audio mastered by: Peter Johnson

Produced by Kamran Hooshmand for 1001 Nights Cultural Productions

www.facebook.com/1001nightsorchestra

1001 Nights Orchestra's new release "Live from Austin, Texas" is available at CD Baby and all other major online retailers:

www.cdbaby.com/cd/1001nightsorchestra1

Gorani - 1001 Nights Orchestra with special guests - Planet Music 2015

In 2002, the Austin, Texas-based bilingual band Ojalá released its first CD. The CD was the first known rendition of mixing Iranian and Latin music in a bilingual form. They dedicated the entire CD to Vigen, a wildly popular Iranian pop singer from the 50s to 80s and later into 90s until his passing in California.

Vigen travelled to the US in the 70s and might have heard this song while in the US. Or, because boleros were so popular and globalized in the 60s, the song may have reached Iran in the form of 45 rpm records. Either way, in this cut, Ojalá performs the song in its original and adapted form.

Musicians on this recording:

Kamran Hooshmand: oud, Persian vocals
Javier Palacios: Spanish vocals
Reynaldo Arteaga: Latin percussion
Luis Guerra: standup bass
Mike Maddux: piano
Javier Chaparro: violin

Original Spanish lyrics & music: Carlos E. Almarán
Persian lyrics: Parviz Vakili

CD sound recording is copyrighted by Pardiso Records

Historia De Un Amor / Daastaan-e Yek Eshq

Willow (tree) or Itia in Greek is a  pan-Hellenic folk dance originating in Epirus. The dance is a form called tsamikos. The original song has lyrics. This is an instrumental version of this song. The original lyrics translate as:

"Willow tree, the fragrance of your blossoms intoxicate me. 
Tall willow in the creek, I swear my love to you. 
Oh my willow, bend lower and let me pluck a blossom."

Band: 1001 Nights Orchestra

Musicians on this recording:
Anne Alexander: tapan/davul
Kamran Hooshmand: guitar
Ken Maranian: clarinet
Don Weeda: accordion

Recorded at the Art Institute of Austin
Winter/Spring 2015/2016
Recording engineer: Zach Braswell

Mastering: Peter Johnson

Produced by Kamran Hooshmand for 1001 Nights Orchestra

Copyright 2016 - Kamooli Productions


Willow (Itia) - Greek folk song (tsamiko) by 1001 Nights Orchestra

Siro Yerk ("Song of Love") is an Armenian popular folk song that is set to the famous Armenian 10/8 beat called curcuna or jurjuna. The beat is counted as 12312-12123.

This is an instrumental version of the song. The original song has lyrics about love. Here's an excerpt of the original lyrics translated into English:

"You are my eternal love; I live only for you; i will wait 1000 years if you will only come, my sweet beloved. The days of our youth will pass through our hands quickly, let's love, my dear friend, It is our time for happiness. how long, how long will you make my heart burn for you."

Band: 1001 Nights Orchestra

Musicians on this recording:
Anne Alexander: tapan/davul
Kamran Hooshmand: oud
Ken Maranian: clarinet
Don Weeda: accordion

Recorded at the Art Institute of Austin
Winter/Spring 2015/2016
Recording engineer: Zach Braswell

Mastering: Peter Johnson

Produced by Kamran Hooshmand for 1001 Nights Orchestra

Copyright 2016 - Kamooli Productions

Siro Yerk (Armenian folk) by 1001 Nights Orchestra

Inchu Heratzar ("Why did you go away?") is an Armenian folk song. THis is an instrumental version. The original song contains lyrics. Here's an excerpt translated into English:

"I had a love uniquely beautiful to see I love er without borders  -unending, o sweet love why did you leave me, why did you forget me?"

Band: 1001 Nights Orchestra

Musicians on this recording:
Anne Alexander: tapan/davul
Kamran Hooshmand: guitar
Ken Maranian: clarinet
Don Weeda: accordion

Recorded at the Art Institute of Austin
Winter/Spring 2015/2016
Recording engineer: Zach Braswell

Mastering: Peter Johnson

Produced by Kamran Hooshmand for 1001 Nights Orchestra

Copyright 2016 - Kamooli Productions

Inchu Heratzar (Armenian folk) by 1001 Nights Orchestra

Pajarillo Verde ("Little Green Bird")

Rough English translation:

Little green bird, how can you tell me not to cry,
little green bird, it's impossible for me not to cry,
ay, ay, ay, ay, only one life I have
little green bird, and they want to take it away. (that is, they want to kill me)

Little green bird, how can you tell me not to cry,
little green bird, it's impossible for me not to cry,
ay, ay, ay, ay, the chains they take off my legs
little green bird, they just stick them back on.

Little green bird, yesterday you went to cut wood
little green bird, and you passed by my house, (strictly speaking, by my land, but it sort of gives the idea of a small plot)
ay, ay, ay, ay, and everybody heard of it
little green bird, for you keep bad company.

Little green bird, what can an indian give you
little green bird, no matter how much you want it / how much you love him,
ay, ay, ay, ay, a string of crabs (as in, freshly fished)
little green bird, and that only when it rains.

Traditional Venezuelan joropo arranged by Ojalá
Featuring:

Victor Eijkhout (Holland): electric bass
Hector Chang (Venezuela): maracas
Kamran Hooshmand (Iran): barbat (Iranian oud), Persian translation
Javier Palacios (Mexico): vocals
Sarkis Petrosyan (Armenia): santir (Armenian hammered dulcimer)
Victor Villegas (Venezuela): cuatro (Venezuelan 4-string guitar)

Sound recording, mix & mastering: Isaac Peña
Recorded in Austin, Texas, USA
Spring 2013

FOr more info:

Ojalá
World music sung in Spanish & Persian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ojalamusic
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ojalaband
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ojalaband
Electronic Press Kit (EPK): http://www.sonicbids.com/ojala

Pajarillo Verde by Ojala - Full Version with Persian translation and barbat intro.

Pajarillo Verde ("Little Green Bird")

Traditional Venezuelan joropo arranged by Ojalá

Victor Eijkhout (Holland): electric bass
Hector Chang (Venezuela): maracas
Kamran Hooshmand (Iran): barbat (Iranian oud)
Javier Palacios (Mexico): vocals
Sarkis Petrosyan (Armenia): santir (Armenian hammered dulcimer)
Victor Villegas (Venezuela): cuatro (Venezuelan 4-string guitar)

Sound recording, mix & mastering: Isaac Peña
Recorded in Austin, Texas, USA
Spring 2013

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