ECO Multinational Concert on July 14 at Niavaran

TEHRAN –(Iranart) Cultural Center in Tehran will host a multinational concert on July 14. It will be performed by ‘Navaye Melal’ (music of nations) ensemble, a group of musicians from Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan Republic, Turkey, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, India and Armenia, Fars News Agency reported.

Organizer of the event is ECO Cultural Institute, headquartered in Tehran. The institute is affiliated to ECO (the Economic Cooperation Organization), an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the member states.

In 1992, the organization expanded to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  ECO aims to develop human resources and expand transportation and communications in the 10 member countries.

The concert will start at 9 pm, featuring Kiana Talaee as tonbak (goblet drum) and santur (hammered dulcimer) player, Teymour Oujaqi as singer and player of dayereh (frame drum), Abd-ol-Qadir Saqeb on tabla (percussion instrument) and Faramarz Golzarfard on balaban (wind instrument).

Other vocalists of the ensemble are Abd-ol-Kabir Ma’soumi and Hossein Vahedi who also play harmonica and tar respectively. Sattar Babaee plays Azeri tar, and Mehdi Zarei is on kamancheh (spike fiddle).

The ensemble is led by Iranian guitarist and player of tar and setar Zhila Taqavi, 45, who founded the group last year.

Seeking to convey a message of peace and empathy, Navaye Melal will perform ethnic compositions from ECO member nations. The venue of the event is the Persian Gulf auditorium of Niavaran Cultural Center at the northern end of Pasdaran Street, across Niavaran Park.