Asgeir Asgeirsson – Persian Path, Icelandic Folksongs Volume 3 (Stanga Music, 2020)
Multi-instrumentalist Asgeir Asgeirsson is well-known in Iceland as a jazz and pop guitarist. In 2017 he started a series of three albums where he recorded Icelandic folk songs with eastern tonalities. On Volume 1, Two Sides of Europe, he worked with Turkish musicians. Volume 2, Travelling through cultures was collaboration with Bulgarian artists. The album reviewed here, Volume 3, titled the Persian Path, features collaborations with Iranian musicians who perform Icelandic folk songs with classic Persian instrumentation.
On Persian Path, Asgeir Asgeirsson uses various string instruments from diverse global traditions: bouzouki, electric guitar, ud, baglama, etc. The repertoire is a combination of rearranged traditional Icelandic songs and new original works from Asgeirsson.
The intertwining of Icelandic and Persian music works seamlessly and wonderfully. The musical pieces are masterfully-crafted, showcasing elegant virtuosity and nuance. Persian Path features the beautiful vocals of Sigridur Thorlacius, one of Iceland’s most cherished singers. On the Persian side, ud maestro Hamid Khansari contributes his skill as an arranger as well, creating a captivating sound where northern Atlantic European music meets the ancient traditions of the Middle East.
The lineup includes Asgeir Asgeirsson on bouzouki, saz baglama, electric guitar, synth guitar/bass and and oud; Sigríður Thorlacius on vocals; Egill Ólafsson on vocals; Hamid Khansari on ud; Siamak Jahangiri on ney; Ali Asghar Arabshahi on tar; Sahar Ebrahim on kanun; Hooman Roomi on kamanche; Bahar Modiri on qeychak; Ali Abedin on santoor; Sara Rezazadeh on setar; Aryan Rezaee on daf, cajón and bendir; Bamdad Maleki on tombak and bendir; Samin Ghorbani on vocals; Oray Yay on percussion; Kadir Okyay on violin; Ayhan Senyaylar on violin; Ismet Okyay on violin; Yilmaz Senyaylar on violin; Adnan Karaduman on violin; Metin Kabaci on viola; and Yemen Dursum on cello.
Buy Persian Path, Icelandic folksongs Volume 3
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.