Nine Heavens (Dig)

Niyaz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Six Degrees
• ASIN: B0018TLRUE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,461 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

By any measure, Niyaz has come very far, very fast. The trio's 2005 debut featured a convincing blend of Sufi mysticism and trance electronica, and quickly established them as a standout ensemble in a very crowded world music field. A worldwide tour followed. Now, Niyaz returns with Nine Heavens, which doesn't just cross cultural and stylistic boundaries, but the centuries as well. Drawing on medieval Persian poetry and 300-year old Persian folk songs, Niyaz has created a 21st century global trance tradition.
This may seem like a tall order for a band that's barely three years old - until you realize who these musicians are. Vocalist Azam Ali co-founded the best-selling world music duo Vas in 1996; her unmistakable voice has graced numerous recordings and major film scores. Loga Ramin Torkian is a multi-instrumentalist whose group Axiom of Choice brought the ancient sounds of Persian classical music to Western listeners in the 1990s. And producer Carmen Rizzo, a multiple Grammy nominee, has worked with Coldplay, Seal, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and many others. Small wonder then that the trio hit the ground running with its self-titled debut. Now, with Nine Heavens, Niyaz breaks new ground in a two-disc format: the first is an adventurous, spiritual exploration of the ties that bind Persian, Indian, Turkish, and Western dance music. The second disc showcases 8 out of the 9 songs in a purely acoustic setting.
Nine Heavens begins with the irresistible "Beni Beni," which marries an 18th century Turkish Sufi poem to a traditional Turkish folk song and some beautifully integrated electronics and programming. "It's a modern kind of Sufi music," Azam explains. "Both Loga and I are influenced by Turkish music, and there are many connections between Turkey and Iran." The steady, trance rhythms support layers of Turkish and Persian lutes, all topped by a new instrument known as the kamman, a larger, lower-pitched version of the traditional Persian fiddle.
Niyaz draws even more connections between Iran and India. The word niyaz means "yearning" in both Farsi, the language of Iran, and Urdu, a major language of northern India and Pakistan. Over the centuries, the cultures of Persia and India have shared not only words, but musical and spiritual traditions - and people. Azam Ali is one of them, born in Iran and raised in India; and two of the songs on Nine Heavens are by Amir Khosrau Dehlavi, a 13th-century Persian mystic and poet who was also raised in India. (The album title comes from his "Song of Nine Heavens.") Amir Khosrau founded the style of Sufi music known as Qawwali, made famous in the recent past by the great Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and some claim he invented the Indian tabla drums as well. But his poems, including "Molk-e-Divan" and "Sadrang," are in the great tradition of Persian mystics like Rumi. "'Molk-e-Divan' was the first song we wrote for the new album," Azam says. "Loga and I found the poem and wrote the music together; he did the main melody and I did the vocal line." Then, the whole thing was shipped off for Carmen to work his magic, which in this case consists of some highly processed drum programming and a rich tapestry of Near Eastern lutes and electronics.
Both Amir Khosrau texts can be read either as love poetry or as devotional songs to God. Of course, an English-speaking audience may be more likely to respond to the songs' earthy, throbbing rhythms. That's fine with Niyaz; Azam Ali points out that the sacred nature of the texts makes them a surprisingly good fit for Western dance music. "The common thread is putting yourself in a higher state. Even with club music, I think that's what people go to it for. The only problem was that it was void of "soul," the spirit of acoustic trance music. We always felt there was a way to bring the two together that blurs the line between the acoustic and the electronic." A good example is the song "Tamana," an 18th century Urdu poem that unfolds over a slow opening - much like the slow alap section of a raga performance. The electronic drones give way to the silvery tone of the Turkish cumbus, a type of lute, and as with a raga performance, the energy builds with the addition of percussion - in this case, both tabla and programmed beats. "We've been working so long now that this sort of fusion happens on a more intuitive level," Loga adds. "The steady rhythm of the tabla blends naturally with the dance grooves - it just makes sense."
So what about that "unplugged" disc? "It wasn't intentional," Azam recalls. "As it was coming together, we felt we had a real gem with the acoustic sessions. After we finished mixing both versions, we realized it would be a shame not to let people hear them." The result is a rare opportunity to get inside the music, as the acoustic versions reflect the songwriting talents and mystical leanings that Azam and Loga bring; then the "final" versions showcase the organic way Carmen's electronics fit both the rhythms and the mood of these deeply-rooted works.
Other highlights of Nine Heavens include "Iman," a lullaby written by Loga and Azam for their infant son. Essentially a musical prayer, it offers a pause in the album's rush of rhythmic excitement. And "Feraghi - Song of Exile" is close to the hearts of the two Persian émigrés, now living in California. At a time when most Americans have a distorted view of Iran and Iranian culture, Niyaz have been doing workshops to raise awareness of the contributions of Iranians in the US and of Persian culture in general. "Our Iranian identity is important," Loga says. "On the first Niyaz album, we were just trying to find our place here. Now, with this second record, the Persian elements are used with more confidence." For example, "Feraghi" uses a Persian 5-beat rhythm, which most Americans would find difficult to dance to -- but the blend of traditional and programmed beats is so persuasive that many would try.
Dance or trance - the music that Niyaz makes on Nine Heavens can serve either purpose. "The function of music in society has changed," Loga points out. "It's very different from one or two decades ago; people now listen on iPods, or in their cars; music is not their primary focus. There's not as much sitting and listening to music. So the goal is for the music to stand on its own in different contexts."

Product Description

"Nine Heavens" features nine intricately carved original arrangements and compositions of traditional folk songs and mystical Sufi poems from Iran, the Indian sub-continent and Turkey. With a strong emphasis on composition, Niyaz centers on the deep interconnectedness between the music of Iran, India and Turkey, and delves further into the traditional melodies of these regions with outstanding performances by its core members as well as guest musicians of the highest caliber from these three traditions.

Nine Heavens has been released as a double disc set. One cd embodies the original concept of the band which is to bridge the gap between the traditional and modern by creating a finely-tuned balance of acoustic and electronic music.

The second will be a solely acoustic version of the album, which will feature a more organic approach with a stronger emphasis on traditional acoustic instrumentation with added percussion.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous!, June 24, 2008

By 

Woodsprite "thewoodsprite" (MI United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Nine Heavens (Dig) (Audio CD)

After anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new Niyaz album, I am thrilled to report that I am in no way disappointed. "Nine Heavens" is not merely a repeat of Niyaz's debut album, however. Instead, the music has gotten richer, more complex and velvety, with less emphasis on pulsing electronic trance rhythms. Worry not, however, it's still gonna move you...perhaps in a slightly more fluid expression. Despite the novelty of having two discs representing both the "electronic" and acoustic versions for 8 of the 9 songs, the music itself only differs slightly between them, and this is in no way a detriment. The differences are more subtle and nuanced, each thoroughly enjoyable in its own right. I can already imagine that I'll be listening to the slightly quieter acoustic version in the morning, and choosing the electronic version for evening.

For those fans of Azam Ali and/or Vas, you may recognize more of a similarity in the texture of this music than perhaps the first Niyaz album, with a return to more instrumental emphasis.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as I hoped, June 25, 2008

By 

O. Guerra - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nine Heavens (Dig) (Audio CD)

If you like Niyaz first album, Nine Heavens will not disappoint. As one other reviewer mentioned, there isn't as strong emphasis on electronic sound like in the song "The Hunt" but this is not to say someone who likes electronic music will be disappointed. Niyaz blends traditional and modern sounds, I'm always looking for bands that fuse different elements of world music together and Niyaz does it in perfect harmony, not to mention Azam Ali's voice is amazing. very few bands can accomplish this.

If you never heard of Niyaz and are looking for not just world music, but something different, Nine Heavens will not disappoint. The addition of the acoustic version is like having a completely different CD, not to mention, they could have waited six months before releasing the acoustic version.

The only negative thing I have to say is that the album is so good, it left me wanting more and I wish it was twice as long!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Wonderful Music Niyaz, June 24, 2008

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Jay D. Remsen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nine Heavens (Dig) (Audio CD)

I have been eagerly awaiting this album release as well. I suppose like many people I visit music sites listening to samples of peoples work from all over the world. Amazon, ITunes and many others have been wonderful for this type of thing. Several years ago I ran across Sunyata and have been following Azam Ali's musical career as well as her single releases Portals of Grace and the more recent Elysium for the Brave. What always strikes me in all of my musical wanderings is absolutely beautiful beautiful voices. I personally rank Azam's voice with that of Loreena McKennitt The Book of Secrets or Enya Watermark. The combination of Azam's voice and Niyaz's wonderful instrumentation has such a fresh and unduplicated feel that I find myself forever listening to her many albums over and over again.

Niyaz I loved the track configuration and sound of both the acoustic and electronic versions.

For you die hards its "Iman" :) (just wanted to be the first to post that)

Azam, Fresh and beautiful as always! keep up the wonderful work!