Rabab Virtuoso Qais Essar Breaks New Ground in Echoes of the Unseen

Qais Essar – Echoes of the Unseen (Worlds Within Worlds, 2024)

Qais Essar, an Afghan-American composer and virtuoso rabab player, is set to release his latest album, Echoes of the Unseen, on October 11, 2024, under the Worlds Within Worlds label. Known for his innovative approach to Afghan classical music, Essar explores the full potential of the rabab, a traditional Afghan instrument, in this new collection.

“Some traditions confine the rabab in a small box, particularly when it comes to classical presentations of ragas,” explains Qais. “The instrument has had its wings clipped for a while now. What I’m trying to do is realize its full potential.”

Essar’s fourth full-length album features elegant, timeless, evocative and enthralling compositions that push the boundaries of the rabab, mixing the deep roots of Afghan and Indian classical music with contemporary techniques. As with Indian ragas, the album is thematically structured around the cycle of a day, with each composition representing different times, from dawn to dusk and into the night. Additionally, Essar incorporates field recordings from the forests of Northern Arizona, where he resides, to enhance the atmospheric depth of the album.

Echoes of the Unseen includes collaborations with several of Essar’s long-time associates, including Sandeep Singh (dilruba), Neelamjit Dhillon (tabla), Eric Zang (daf), Jas Ahluwalia (tabla), Kamaljeet Ahluwalia (santoor), and Himanshu Nanda (bansuri). The album follows his previous acclaimed works: The Green Language (2014), Tavern of Ruin (2016), and The Ghost You Love Most (2018).

Essar’s work has been featured in notable projects, including composing for the Oscar-nominated films Three Songs for Benazir and The Breadwinner (produced by Angelina Jolie), and the BAFTA-nominated Yellow. He has also performed at prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center, SXSW, Aga Khan Museum, and the Newport Folk Festival.

In light of the ongoing persecution of musicians in Afghanistan, Essar’s creative expression through Echoes of the Unseen stands as a significant contribution to preserving and evolving Afghan classical music. The album’s first single, “Liminal Time And Space,” was released on August 16, 2024.

Tracklist:

1. Basking in Morning Light, Pt 1
2. Basking in Morning Light, Pt 2
3. Basking in Morning Light, Pt 3
4. Liminal Time and Space
5. Devotion at Dusk
6. Blooming Darkness
7. Drinking Moonlight

Essar will promote the album during his upcoming Australian tour, with performances at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne.

Buy Echoes of the Unseen.