Salar Aqili’s New Album Due

TEHRAN.(Iranart) – new album from celebrated classical and Persian traditional vocalist Salar Aqili, 39, is to be released soon.

Beautiful Night’ (in Persian: Shab-e Ziba) is the title of Aqili’s latest album composed by Javad Bat’hai, 60, an Iranian composer and virtuoso of santur, a hammered dulcimer, according to Resaneh-Nava (nava.ir), a local music website.

The album will be released by Raha Music Center. It includes three ballads, three songs and one chaharmezrab, a traditional piece with signature rhythm.

Some poems by writer, poet, literary critic, editor and translator Mohammad Reza Shafiee Kadkani, 77, have been used as lyrics for the songs. Other vocal pieces are based on the poems of Nozar Parang (1938-2006), a poet and lyricist.

Javad Bat’hai plays the santur in the album. Other performing musicians of ‘Beautiful Night’ include composer, violinist and oud player Arsalan Kamkar, 57; ney player Shahou Andalibi, 43; composer and kamancheh player Navid Dehqan, 33; and player of tar, setar and oud Hossein Heddat, 36.

Santur player Nima Bat’hai, 28; percussionist Farhad Safari, 35; daf player Shahryar Nazari, 34; violinist and cellist Atena Eshtiaqi, 30, are among other notable musicians contributing to the album.

In a note on the album, Javad Bat’hai says: “Poem and music have been inseparable since time immemorial. Lullabies, rural melodies, paddy field hums, chants and passionate prayers have all come out as a combination of words and music from the hearts of people …

When music and lyrics are in unison they leave a deep impression on listeners. We hope that our audience will relate to the contents and concepts.”

The last album sung by Aqili was unveiled May 25 in Tehran. Titled ‘Narrator of Love’ (in Persian: Ravi-e Eshq) it was composed by santur player and composer Jamshid Safarzadeh, 35.

A prominent vocalist among the young generation of Iranian traditional musicians, Salar Aqili is dedicated to passing on the values of Persian music from masters such as Mohammad Reza Shajarian to the next generation of music lovers.

His silky voice and tendency to produce genuine traditional music have elevated him to a higher pedestal in music forums.