Mirror of Emotions

Farzad | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Amity Records
• ASIN: B00005NKYD
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,875 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Spencer Theater,2002

Farzad ... whose Persian violin and jazzy folkloric compositions have carved a new category of art into the world of music.

Product Description

On his latest album, Mirror of Emotions which became #2 on NAV chart in September, Farzad utilizes his violin to create music that reflects his emotions in the hope that listeners will discover similar feelings within themselves.

Classically trained, Farzad makes music that falls into the arena of classical crossover or contemporary classical with elements of Mideastern folkloric (reflecting his heritage), Latin (influenced by time spent living in South America where he was the concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador), other world musics, new age and smooth jazz.

Some of the tunes on Mirror of Emotions (on Amity Records) directly relate to attempting to create a better world and a deeper understanding between all people. The album begins with "Searching" (the first step towards understanding), continues with love songs such as "Thinking Of You" and "Come Be With Me," contains "Conversation" ("dialog is crucial for people to unite, and this music starts with disparate elements that merge at the end"), and features the seven-minute "Why?" ("Understanding is not always possible at the time something happens"). "Come Be With Me" is Farzad's arrangement of a traditional Persian folk melody. The album also contains three Latin-influenced pieces -- Farzad's "La Dádiva [The Gift]" ("my interpretation of cha-cha and Bossa Nova rhythms"), and two tunes written by producer Louie Shelton, "Santa Fe Nights" and "Fiesta."

Mirror of Emotions, which features many original compositions by Farzad, was produced by Louie Shelton, a recording artist in his own right, also plays acoustic and electric guitars on the album. A longtime producer and session-musician, Shelton has played on albums by Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond, Tom Scott, Marvin Gaye, The Carpenters, Bread, The Monkees, Joe Cocker, Seals & Crofts, Art Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and many other top acts. Farzad -- who not only plays violin on the recording, but also piano and electronic keyboards -- is additionally backed by bassist Craig Nelson and drummer Tommy Wells.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flight of the Lovers, July 2, 2002

By 

Matt Cornelius (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror of Emotions (Audio CD)

I purchased this album just a few nights ago after seeing Farzad perform at the San Francisco Bahá'í Center alongside some other wonderfully talented musicians, among them KC Porter, who has worked with artists such as Santana and Michael Jackson. Farzad proves himself to be not only a very talented as a violinist, but a very versatile one as well. The live performance I attended witnessed a wonderful blend of Eastern and Western music, and much of that is evident on Farzad's "Mirror of Emotions" album.

Playing violin since the age of six, Farzad received a diploma from the Tehrán Conservatory in classical music. He earned his BA and Masters in Performance from two North American universities and has performed with the Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Symphony and Houston Ballet, Pop and Opera Orchestras. He was also designated as Concert Master for the second Bahá'í World Congress in New York City in November, 1992.

On "Mirror of Emotions", Farzad captures the various but basic emotions that all human beings possess, in both Eastern and Western melodies. "Searching," "Flight of the Lovers" and "Why?" showcase Farzad's Eastern roots, with deep, mystical rhythms and melodies. In contrast, "Santa Fe Nights," La Dádiva (The Gift)" and "Fiesta" provide the listener with Western sounds in smooth jazz, pop and Latin-style melodies. And overall mix of musical textures and styles that keep the album in the player at all times.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great music, October 10, 2001

By 

John Tapia (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror of Emotions (Audio CD)

I really enjoyed listening to this CD, it is a very interesting flavor and I have never heard anything like it before. I have heard a little bit of Middle eastern music before, and Farzad seems to throw in some latin american to that as well as other types of music that I can't quite recognize. Regardless, it makes for a very nice overall package and I would recommend this CD to people who really enjoy music. I look for forward to Farzad's next cd.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotions, September 23, 2001

By 

Ndiitah (Haifa, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror of Emotions (Audio CD)

The Music that Farzad brings to us is truly inspirational and takes the soul to another realm of conscientiousness. Thank so much for this great blessing...