Nowruz

The six musicians comprising this group have all been involved in the Aga Khan Music Programme as performers, teachers and workshop leaders. They come from China (Wu Man on plucked pipa), Tajikistan (Sirojiddin Juraev on plucked dutar and tanbur), Uzbekistan (Abbos Kosimov on frame drums), Syria (Feras Charestan on qanun zither and Basel Rajoub playing sax and duclar – a duduk with a clarinet reed) and Tunisia (Jasser Haj Youssef on viola d’amore). Most of them are now living outside their countries of origin.

This album features 12 original pieces composed by members of the AKMM, although only four involve the whole ensemble. Other ones highlight particular instruments or groups of instruments. Wu Man’s ‘Teahouse’ is very much from the world of Chinese ‘silk and bamboo’ music, but is written for pipa and qanun with riq percussion, a pretty unusual combination. One of the most exciting is ‘Mehan’ by Sirojiddin Juraev, a virtuoso piece for dutar and percussion.

The opening ‘Tashkent’ is an impression of the Uzbek capital by Basel Rajoub for the whole ensemble. The other pieces featuring the whole group are ‘Mashq-i Dutar’, ‘Jul Dance’ and the closing ‘Nowruz’, a celebratory piece for the Persian New Year. It’s thrilling to have a group of (largely) traditional instruments playing new music that is inventive and attractive. I hope they can tour.