Manushan

Manushan is named after a legendary mountain in Iran near the Caspian Sea where, according to folklore, nomadic Gypsies from Rajasthan settled on their way west (hence the term manouche). This story is the basis for Aïda & Babak, a duo from Tehran, to explore the musical consequences of this migration, principally flamenco and manouche jazz. Other elements present include Celtic, Latin American and Turkish styles. The duo mix interpretations of traditional songs with their own compositions, offering both tragic and light-hearted numbers. While the variety of influences might sound like an ungainly muddle, the results are mostly well integrated. Aïda Nosrat's voice and violin and Babak Amir Mobasher's guitar are complemented by double bass, bass clarinet and percussion. The best tracks, such as ‘To Niloufar Shodi’, have an enchanting clarity, rooted in traditional Persian singing. Occasionally, however, the stylistic mixtures don’t quite hold together (Turkish bossa nova anyone?) and the results can be a little ungainly. Aïda & Babak call their particular sound ‘contemporary Persian music.’ It's an intriguing concoction overall, but ultimately the Persian soil is where the real gems are to be found.