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Songlines: Iranian music album ‘Luka’ named among world’s top 10
Songlines is a UK-based magazine that covers world music, ranging from ancient to contemporary sounds. They feature different genres, showcase the best albums worldwide, introduce talented artists, and present annual awards.
Sharifian’s ‘Luka’ was chosen alongside works by renowned artists like Irish uilleann piper Davy Spillane, a Grammy Award winner, ISNA reported.
Chris Wiley, a journalist at Songlines, describes Sharifian and his album as follows: “A multi-instrumentalist and composer born in Bushehr, southern Iran, Sharifian is one of the country’s foremost artists in preserving and promoting local traditional music and dance. His bagpipe takes center stage in this superb collection, where percussive rhythms and intoxicating melodies create a mesmerizing atmosphere.”
Songlines, founded in 1999 in the UK, specializes in world music and has become a go-to source for music enthusiasts and scholars alike. In 2013, they recognized the collaboration between Iranian kamancheh player Kayhan Kalhor and Turkish baglama player Erdal Erzincan, listing their album among the top 10 releases of that year.
Released in March 2022, ‘Luka’ is a culmination of Sharifian’s experiences leading the Lian
Music Group.
At the album’s unveiling, Sharifian shared the inspiration behind the name: “While exploring the soothing songs of the waves and winds as narrated by captains and sailors of the south, I discovered different melodies on the arid shores of the Persian Gulf! These were the chants of desert nomads, used to tame camels. When a camel gets into gear, it becomes intoxicated! Wilder than any sea! In the ancient port of Bushehr, camels are called ‘Luka’ and the camel drivers as ‘Jat.’ Jats would lead the Lukas with songs...”
“Luka,” Sharifian’s 19th multimedia work, features 10 carefully selected pieces from the Lian Music Group’s most beloved repertoire. The album’s lyrics are folk poems chosen from the rich tradition of southern Iran’s poetry.