Persian sound: Kourosh Yaghmaei

 Thanks to Slavs and Tatars, I discovered Six Pillars to Persia's programme on Resonance FM and thanks to Six Pillars this wonderful music from Iran, embodied by the Iranian musician Kourosh Yaghmaei.

 

Elements of biography:

 Kourosh Yaghmaei was 10 when his father gave him a gift that revealed his talent for music. It was a Santour (The Persian Traditional string-percussive /Dulcimer). According to his mother, when he opened his present, after a few tries, he started to play a tune....
  After 5 years of practice he gained a perfect knowledge of Iranian traditional music along with excellent skills in playing Santour.
At the age of 15 he chose to play the guitar, which he has always loved. He gathered his own Pop/Rock bands which he both composed for and played in. Kourosh then introduced Rock music to Iran with a Pop formation of songs. 

At that time he received several tempting offers from Western musicians and bands’ managers to join them. In his senior year as a Social Science student at the Iran National University, Kourosh released his first single hit GOL-e YAKH. The poem was written by his classmate, now-famous poet Mahdi Akhavan Langeroudi. This memorable love song led him to worldwide fame. 

But after 1979, his voice was banned, and it was for 17 years... His picture was only allowed to be printed in his albums after 24 years. 

A double record has now been released by Now Again Records, "Back From the Brinks", in 2011. 

The musician is still playing though and even tourning abroad for live events such as Les Musical de Rennes late 2011 in France.

I haven't heard anything as beautiful in years and am totally falling for this sound. Hence this post. Hope you enjoy too.

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Back From The Brink
Pre-Revolution Psychedelic Rock From Iran : 1973 - 1979
Now-Again Records / Stones Throw / Discograph

Buy the album here:
http://www.amazon.com/Back-From-The-Brink-Pre-Revolution/dp/B005HOM6U6/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_popover


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Other links

Official website:
http://www.kourosh-yaghmaei.com

Now Again Records:
http://www.nowagainrecords.com/kourosh-back-from-the-brink/

Six Pillars to Persia:
http://sixpillars.org/

Resonance FM:
resonancefm.com/

Review in Rolling Stones France:
http://www.rollingstone.fr/Kourosh-Yaghmaei-Back-From-The_2131.html