Marjan & Mahsa Vahdat (IRI)
Marjan & Mahsa Vahdat (IRI)
In Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the severe social and political restrictions imposed on women included a ban on singing. Years later and in defiance of the prohibition that is still in effect today, two sisters, Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat, decided that they were going to sing again. Their lives are a story of extreme challenges and changes: war, the threat of imprisonment, separation from their homeland and loved ones, migration and exile. Today, however, both Vahdat Sisters are distinguished Iranian singers and musicians, both individually and as a duo, and they live in California. Through their music, they are continuing Iran’s rich cultural legacy. Their own compositions present traditional Iranian melodies and powerful emotions, which they also combine with more contemporary sounds. The complexity and beauty of the Persian melodies and poetry in the songs they perform are capable of exerting a profound impact on anyone. This concert of theirs – in which they will be accompanied by the outstanding Norwegian jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen – is an important aspect of the House of Music Hungary’s temporary exhibition LISTEN. - A Musical Journey Around the World.
The Vahdat Sisters first appeared outside their homeland on a 2004 compilation album entitled Lullabies From the Axis of Evil. Mahsa, the older of the two, had been singing abroad since 1995 and was joined by Marjan for this compilation released by a Norwegian record company. The same label has been producing their records, both solo and joint efforts, ever since. Mahsa’s work is distinguished more by collaborations with other artists – such as the albums she made alongside blues musician Mighty Sam McClain and the Norwegian choir SKRUK, as well as with the pianist Tord Gustavsen, who will accompany both sisters at this concert. Marjan typically works alone when not in the company of her sister, but she has also recorded with Bugge Wesseltoft, for example, and the two siblings put out a joint album with the Kronos Quartet as well. One of the most famous string quartets in contemporary music, the latter are also renowned for their collaborations with various artists from the world music scene; Placeless, the 2019 album they made together with the Vahdats combined Persian melodies with chamber music. Mahsa’s 2015 album Traces Of An Old Vineyard was hailed as one of the best records of the year by Songlines, perhaps the most influential of all world music magazines. The title of their first joint album, Songs From A Persian Garden, released in 2007, remains an apt description of their work today. The inexhaustible and serene Persian garden and its melodic world are brought to us by two performers who never miss an opportunity to stand up for women’s rights while actively engaging as music teachers.
