Kayhan Kalhor & Behnam Samani

Kayhan Kalhor is a Grammy award-winning grandmaster of the traditional Persian spiked fiddle Kamancheh and the Setar (long-necked lute), who has brought Persian music to global attention through his diverse and international musical collaborations. He is recognized as one of the most important ambassadors of Iranian music and culture, and one of the biggest stars and most creative minds of the Iranian music scene. Kayhan Kalhor is one of the original members of the Silk Road Ensemble founded by star cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with whom he continues to tour and compose.

Yo-Yo Ma, Kalhor and the Silk Road Ensemble won the Grammy for Best World Music Album in 2016 with their album The Music of Stranger. The prestigious 2019 WOMEX Artist Award was presented to Kayhan Kalhor in October. Commenting on the award, Kalhor shared, “The award is a tribute to the rich culture of my native Iran and a timeless Persian art that thrives and is loved around the world. When forces emerge in the world that seek division, borders and intolerance, music brings us together and reminds us of our common humanity.”

Behnam Samani is one of the founders of the percussion group Zarbang. He combines an amazing variety of rhythms with multicolored sound elements. These sounds have their roots in Persian classical music, but open up to influences from other cultures, allowing for a wide range of musical expression. Behnam Samani elicits surprising new sounds and melodies from the tombak, the zarbang udu he developed, and the mystical frame drum daf. He has collaborated with the most famous Iranian musicians, including F. Paewar, M. Zarif and H. Alisadeh. He has toured with the Dastan Ensemble in the US, Canada, the UK and Brazil.

Welcome: Ghodrat Ramazani

A cooperation of DAI Heidelberg/LiZ and Literaturherbst Heidelberg