Migrant Voices

Migrant Voices is a collaboration between two immigrants to Canada who discovered each other through the global music scene in Vancouver. Itamar Erez, a composer and guitarist from Israel whose vocabulary spans Middle Eastern music, jazz and flamenco; and Hamin Honari, an Iranian multi-percussionist. After an established rapport playing duo performances, the pair spent two days in the studio recording mostly unplanned improvisations, the results of which form the present album. ‘Departure’ is a strong opener, with Erez’ intervallic patterns dancing across Honari’s loping grooves. The title-track is the sole pre-composed piece, and benefits from the inherent structure this brings. Basing the music around an intriguing, folk-like melody, Erez deftly replicates the ornaments of near-Eastern string instruments on nylon-string guitar, to beautiful effect.

‘Forgotten Sands’ is the only track to feature any overdubs, with Erez reinforcing his guitar playing with added bandola. While the playing from both performers is never less than impeccable – with Erez calling on his jazz and classical background to produce some compelling harmonic language – some of the material has a tendency to meander, owing to its spontaneous nature. Closing track ‘Mirage’ ends abruptly, cutting the album off at around the 28-minute mark, resulting in a somewhat unsatisfying end to a musically and emotionally rich, yet insubstantial album.