The Big World Band, featuring a United Nations of world music performers, takes us through the soundscapes of Iran and Persia this weekend at Kay Meek Centre.
Two guests, clarinetist François Houle and actor Linda Quibell as narrator, will join the seven-member core ensemble, in a performance of The Parrot and the Rainbow, inspired by the well-known tale by 13th century mystic poet Rumi.
“Music is universal,” says North Vancouver’s Hossein Behroozinia, an Iranian barbat and oud player. “We can play together because we all know the same language.”
Along with Behroozinia the ensemble includes Mohamed Assani (South Asian sitar and tabla), Hamin Honari (tombak and daf/Iranian hand drums), John Oliver (western classical guitar), Farshid Samandari (acoustic bass), Guilian Liu (pipa/Chinese lute) and Zhimin Yu (ruan/Chinese “moon guitar”).
The Big World Band first got together two years ago to perform their own unique hybrid of Persian, South Asian, Chinese and European classical music cultures. Bound together with an improvisational sensibility the group play a wide range of percussion and string instruments on traditional and new compositions.
For more information on the Big World Band visit earsay.com/bwb.
