The Bridge

Arash Moradi plays the tanbur – a saz-like long-necked lute that is played in Iranian Kurdistan. For many it is a sacred instrument, used in religious ceremonies as well as in popular folk music. Although the instrument is simple – just three strings – Moradi really makes it speak, with delicate melodic lines, repeated drones and rhythmic patterns in contrasting registers of the instrument.

His instrumental skill should be no surprise as he's the eldest son of Ali Akbar Moradi, the acknowledged master of the instrument, who has recorded with Kayhan Kalhor (a Top of the World disc in #26) and recently opened a tanbur performance centre in Banzalan near Kermanshah.

Moradi, based in London, sees himself as a bridge – hence the title of this album – between Kurdistan and a wider community of musicians with whom he plays in London. The seven instrumental pieces, with Iranian percussionist Habib Meftah, are Moradi's own compositions, ranging from the stately ‘Whispering Passages’ and an intense solo, ‘Gilded Dust’, to the vibrant dance of ‘Hewraz’. A remarkable display of instrumental prowess.