The Sacred Lute

Nour Ali Elahi (1895-1975) deserves to be much better known than he is. The fact that he has just been the subject of an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was the excuse for this release, should help. Ostad Elahi, as he was known, was a member of an Iranian Kurdish spiritual community known as the Ahl-e Haqq (People of the Truth), for whom the tanbur (long-necked lute) is a sacred instrument. He described playing it every night from the age of 9 to 21, suggesting he was playing for, or with the aid of, angels.

The music and rituals are preserved quite secretively and Ostad Elahi never played in public, but a large number of private recordings were made, from which this release is drawn. He evidently became quite a celebrity, as he was introduced to renowned Western artists such as Yehudi Menuhin. The first disc opens with ‘Sahari Suite’, an extraordinary depiction of sunrise with birdsong. More delicate is the ‘Sheykh Amiri Suite’, which really displays the artistry of his tanbur playing. The 17 recordings vary in quality and demand attentive listening, but it's a fine introduction to the art of an extraordinary musician.