Hamed Nikpay: The masterful fusionist of Persian tunes and poems with flamenco jazz
Hamed Nikpay's refreshing fusion style could be heard in his latest album (Spellbound or "Divaneh-tar" in Farsi) and recent concerts in New York, Washington and Chicago. Nikpay performs Rumi, as well as contemporary Persian poets, over a collection of melodic Persian tunes harmonized with symphonic and Flamenco Jazz.
Nikpay lives in San Francisco so news of his October tour (link here) in the Midwest and East Coast was well received by his fans who came from near and far to see him live. The ambiances were intimate and informal, and the performances soulful and transcendental. "I have lived here most of my life and I have been to many concerts by some of the big names in the Persian music," said a young man at Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York. "This was by far the best concert I have ever attended", he continued.
The tour performance included songs from Hamed’s last two albums but also solo and duet improvisations performed for the first time. The ensemble was well harmonized with Farzin Farhadi on sax, Alfredo Caceres on acoustic guitar, Hussain Jiffry on standup bass, and Satnam Ramgotra on Tabla. Nikpay and his ensemble gave powerful vocal and instrumental performances that moved the audience.
Nikpay will soon perform in Miami and in Palo Alto at Stanford University (details listed on Kodoom.com's event pages). Further information about Nikpay's albums and concerts can be found on Zang Records (link).
Entertainment Blog for Kodoom.com
