Carl Nilsson-Polias

Ensemble Shanbehzadeh appeared at WOMAD as a father-son duo of impeccable talent. Hailing from the southern Iranian town of Boushehr, they play a brand of music that alloys the polyrhythms of Africa to the instrumentation of Persia and the transcendental drones of India. On the edge of the Persian Gulf, Boushehr has thrived as a cultural amalgam thanks to the trading routes that intersected there. Directed by Saeid Shanbehzadeh, the Ensemble has a varying line-up, but from the two sets at WOMAD that I witnessed, the quality of their performance and their ability to leave an audience enraptured varies not a bit.

Saeid plays a variety of flutes along with the Neyanban (Iranian lambskin bagpipe), while his thirteen-year-old son, Naghib, accompanies and solos on percussion. Saeid’s relationship with the Neyanban has an anthropomorphic intensity unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The bagpipe’s size is roughly approximate to that of a small sheep and the bleating cries certainly have ovine overtones, but the delicacy, passion and emotion that is emitted creates the image of a man caressing a woman, a dying friend or a child, not some docile quadruped. From wailing and simpering tones of loss, the pipes’ sound can instantly transform into whirling ecstasies. The result is at once moving and celebratory.

Having spent time in France, Saeid has incorporated jazz elements in his group’s music, which melds with traditional improvisatory techniques and extends the range of the music beautifully. As he squeezes and cajoles the bagpipe into careening melodies, he simultaneously dances and spins himself into a euphoric state, while Naghib remains resolutely focused on his drumming with a demeanour that belies his youth. Both father and son are truly exceptional performers creating remarkable music, but I’ll be buggered if I can find a recording of their work. Let’s hope they’re back soon.