Customer Reviews

Kani Sepi

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just as above review, I had the privilege to be present at the Kamkars concert in Washington, DC, and it was quite moving and exciting! The ensemble performed some of the tracks from the CD, and the attendees were emotionally so charged that a number of them started a dance circle,which grew larger and larger quickly, indeed a very moving and touching scene! The image of an old gentleman so overwhelmed by emotions and music, who started dancing in the middle of a seated crowd is forever eternally etched in my mind. The Kamkars' magic touch was at work that night in that small theatre! I would highly recommend this CD to those who cherish Kurdish folk music.

I was privileged to attend Kamkars concert in Portland (organized by Andisheh Center) last night, where they played Kani Sepi's tracks live.

The music of Kamkars was quite amazing. Whether they played the ancient, mystical melodies of Iranian traditional music, or the exuberant joyful rhythms of a Kurdish dance, their music seems to encompass every shade of emotional and spiritual experience. I have been listening to their Kani sepi CD for few weeks now.

In many of Kani-Sepi's tracks one can simply hear the sounds of horses coming down the Zagros ranges as well as the drops of water in a mountainous spring, chanting of women in a wedding ceremony ("hahaleh") and/or their mourning for martyrs ("shehids"). I specially love tracks 1, 3, and 8 for their beat, that one can only find in Kurdish music and not in any other Persian folklore. Hardly one can listen to CD and stop shaking. The performing hall was exploding by people, an American old lady next to me told me I can hardly sit in my seat.

A very beautiful job and very informative CD cover.

I am persian and I can tell you that the ancestors of the kurds were indeed the Medes. The Medes were a part of persia for thousands of years. Kurdistan is a mountainous region and some of it lies in Iran. The Kamkars are Persian(Iranian) Kurds. The names of the group members are even pure Iranian (Persian). There are different types of Persian musics: Urban classical, folk, tribal, and contemporary (westernized). The music of the Kurds falls under the tribal-folk categories. The Tar is deffinately a classical Persian instrument, though it is not as old as the barbat, setar, kamanche, harp, tanbour, daf, tombak, and the other instruments used by the Kamkars. The instruments used by the Kamkars are indeed Persian and are ancient instruments as depicted by ancient artworks. The Tar was introduced into the classical system during the early Qajar dynasty. Kurdish music is indeed a Persian tradition.

Extremely joyous, life affirming Kurdish folk music. The Kamkars will drive you mad with pleasure.

This CD is great. I absolutely lobe the first track. By the way, I think everyone should know that Rizgar is incorrect. The term "Iran" came into use instead of the term "Aryana," during the middle of the Sassanid dynasty when the language changed from Old to Middle Persian. When the Aryans (Iranians) migrated to the central Middle East, they settled in various parts of the region. The Medians were a group of Aryan (Iranian) people. "Media" is a Greek word derived from the Old-Persian word "Mada" which refered to the Iranian people of the Median region. The Medes (today's Azerbaijanis and Kurds) formed the Median Empire. Later, Media became part of the Persian Empire which was formed by Cyrus the Great who was from the Iranian people of the tribe called Parsam(todays Pars or Fars). Today, the ancient region of Media is now part of Kurdistan and also Azerbaijan. Again, the Kurds and Turks of Iran were and are an Iranian (Aryan) people. It is more appropriate to say that the instruments in Iran, whether they're used by Kurds, Azeris or Khorasanis are Iranian instruments, given that you now understand fully the meaning of the word "Iranian." There are numerous documents that depict the use of the Tamburs and Kamancheh in the Persian Empire. Note that the Sassanian Persians were Kurds!

It's really regretable that there are still some people in this time that think in such a filthy medievel way. Here are some facts :

*The Kurds are an Iranic people. The difference between "Iranian" and " Iranic " is the same as the difference between " German " and " Germanic ". The fact that the Kurds and their tradition (including their music) are distinguished from their neighboring nations is attested by every single orientalist and historian.

*The Homeland of the Medes was Media (present-day Kurdistan) not Persia.

*The kemanche is a very ancient instrument that have existed before the existence of any nationality for thousands of years. What you call "barbat" is the ancient Akkadian/now Arabic 'ud. The tar is derived from the Central Asian (Turkic) "rebab", while the def and Kurdish Tembūr are purely Kurdish and never used outside Kurdistan.

*The surname of the Kamkars may be Persian, but does your name being "Ali" - which is Arabic - mean that you are an Arab ?!! More than half of the Persians today have Arabic names or surnames or both, does that mean that they are all Arabs?!!

The problem is not in Kurdish music, but rather with the Kamkars who have made themselvs popular among the Persians by adapting some Persian instruments at the coast of the authenticy of their music, which is the reason why they are not so popular among the Kurds.