Shahab Tolouie – Ci vediamo, Goldoni! (self-released, 2026)
Czech-Iranian musician Shahab Tolouie’s latest work is Ci Vediamo, Goldoni!. The 10-track project takes Tolouie in a very different direction from his familiar Persian-flamenco work. This time he ventures into the 18th-century world of Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni.
The album uses Venetian, Neapolitan, and Sicilian dialects as rhythmic material for fascinating, original avant-folk compositions. It began as a commission for Prague’s Vinohrady Theatre, then developed into a standalone collection of pieces not previously performed live.
Tolouie also foregrounds the mandola, paired with the fingerstyle technique of the Persian setar. The approach reflects his broader work with Middle Eastern timbres and European traditions, including his development of the triple-neck Fusetar.
“Serenata della spiaggia / Behold, a siren I am” – Dressing in Sunday best just to gather wood – it’s a quiet, Sardinian kind of defiance. This isn’t a myth about monsters; it’s about a siren of farewell, finding dignity in the mundane before a long journey begins.
“Non è la morte la fin de l’amore / Death is not the end of love”- A haunting dialogue from a place where love has ceased to be a living thing. This is the story of a hollow existence, where a voice continues to echo long after the person has faded away.
“Rrobb e dinari / Stuff and money” – When rejection turns into a rhythmic duel. From the streets of Sicily, here is a masterclass in the art of the insult: a study in pride and social posturing, where an insult about your family tree cuts deeper than a blade.
“Bambambà fá la cambana / Bambambà tolls the bell” – A masterclass in 18th-century “acoustic beatboxing,” using Neapolitan street slang and percussive “Mbambambà” to mimic the frantic energy of a marketplace. This is a rhythmic plea for the Godfather to protect the family from a chaotic world.
Author: Tyler Bennet
