Shajarian brings Iranian ensemble to Kish Island
Iranian singer Homayoun Shajarian brought his ‘Wherever You Are’ tour to Kish Island in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday.
Followed by earlier stops in Shiraz, in southern Iran, and Isfahan, in central Iran, the concerts aimed to support an education campaign for disadvantaged students.
A defining feature of the tour is Shajarian’s decision to perform with an entirely Iranian ensemble.
The Siavash Ensemble includes Azad Mirzapour on oud, Hossein Rezaeinia on daf, Mahyar Toreihi on santur, Radman Tavakoli on tar, Mehrzad Azami Kia on kamancheh and Morteza Momenian on tombak.
The lineup brings together traditional Iranian string and percussion instruments, placing the country’s musical heritage at the center of the performances.
The concerts were also held in support of the ‘Wherever You Are’ campaign to help provide educational resources and better learning opportunities for students from underprivileged backgrounds.
The project is organized by the Homayoun Shajarian Cultural and Artistic Institute.
Born in Tehran in 1975, Shajarian is the son of Mohammad Reza Shajarian, one of Iran’s most celebrated traditional singers. He began studying the tombak at the age of five and later trained in Persian classical singing under his father.
He also studied kamancheh at the Tehran Conservatory of Music. After accompanying his father as a percussionist from 1991, he began performing as a vocalist in 1999. His first solo album, ‘Nassim-e Vasl’, was released in 2003.