Persian Musicians Dazzle Crowd In Kulas Hall
BY JOHN MACDONALD

Oberlin residents and students who were lucky enough to get into the cramped confines of Kulas Recital Hall Monday night before the doors closed were graced with the soothing, driving and often sublime melodies of Amir Abou Nasr Koushkani, Seemi Bushra Yasmeen Ghazi and Hamin Honari. With Koushkani on the tar (a six-stringed lute resembling the sitar but held horizontally), Ghazi on vocals and Honari on percussion, these three Iranian musicians gave a performance worthy of the large audience they drew.
Anyone familiar with the classical Indian music tradition will be able to get an idea of what this Persian musical event sounded like. The entire pre-intermission section of the show was devoted to the improvisational Muarkkabnavazi, an epic musical exploration reminiscent of the ragas of Indian music. Koushkani and his tar began the piece journeying alone through a distinctly Middle-Eastern motif. Then upon a look from Koushkani, Honari entered in on his tombak (a small drum shaped like a conga drum held horizontally) who followed his partner along in a manner much like that of the tubla player in Indian music. For over 30 minutes this pattern continued, with Koushkani modulating keys and motives solo, or backed by his inventive percussionist. Later in the piece Koushkani surprised the audience with the vocals he added to his improvisations. Starting almost at a mumble, his voice rose skyward with his tar mimicking a truly haunting vocal melody.
Though wonderfully inventive and technically astounding, Koushkani’s and Honari’s improvised piece occasionally had the effect of putting listeners on the verge of sleep. Though the soothing effects of the music were not necessarily a bad thing, the listener must be willing to follow these musicians on each of their separate journeys whether each takes them to the rocky seacoast or to the serene and languid deserts.
After the intermission, Ghazi was brought on stage to assist Koushkani in the singing duties. Pulling from folk songs composed from the 14th century all the way up to the 20th, the three musicians changed the evening’s mood from one of melancholy reverie to that of rhythmic passion and nostalgia. With poetry that spoke of love, youth and the joys of wine, Koushkani and company easily held the audience’s attention as they sang the traditions of their native land. 
After Ghazi introduced some of the songs in spoken English, both she and Koushkani traded off vocal lines before coming together for some truly moving moments. Though the players would often flow from one of these songs to the next with no break, the unpredictability of this method proved effective in keeping the crowd on their toes and in allowing the performers to retain full control over the power of their music. 
Honari’s fluid percussion was highlighted when he unleashed his daff, a circular and framed membrane drum about as large as a man’s torso, which he played by slapping the frame and the underside of the instrument to excite the beads within, much like one does a maraca. 

Though the second half of the event proved more satisfying, all of Monday’s performance stood as an extraordinary example of a musical tradition most of us never get to experience. 
Though Kulas seemed a misguided choice of venue for the event at first, the performance was all the more powerful for the intimacy of the small confines of the recital hall. Koushkani, Ghazi and Honari created a fine tribute to the Persian musical tradition to which they owe so much.