Passionate and Captivating...
Basboosa911 | USA | 12/19/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know nothing about traditional Persian music. I heard of this album through a friend of mine. I was hooked after the first listen.
Master Shahram Nazeri's vocals are so full of passion and conviction. He moves me each time I hear his voice. He has one of those truly unforgettable voices.
I ordered a copy of "The Passion of Rumi" with the expectation that I would like it,but was pleasantly surprised when I heard the entire album. After listening to it in its entirity, I fell in love with the muscial aspect of the album as well. The vocals and musical artistry are a perfect combination and complement.
I found myself listening to it over and over and loving it even more so the next time around.
This album is truly genious in all aspects. The vocals alone are amazing, but in culmination with the talented musical compositions/performances, its truly a must have. The musical scores are done with such precision. The musical performance alone is superb. Hafez Nazeri left no stone unturned in this production. Everything about it was top notch.
I would be honored to recommend "The Passion of Rumi" to all without reservation."
Classical Persian poetry and vocals
Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 10/20/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The mystical-romantic lyrics of the great Sufi poet, Rumi, put to music by the father-son duo of Shahram & Hafez Nazeri... Folks who like recent albums by the Persian classical ensemble Ghazal will appreciate this as well... Very stately and richly realized. (DJ Joe Sixpack)"
Into Timeless Nowhere
Dr. Debra Jan Bibel | Oakland, CA USA | 11/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Recently, Kayhan Kalhor, the kamencheh musician, whether in traditional style (as in "Faryad" and in "Night, Silence, Desert" with other Masters of Persian Music) or in experimental multi-ethnic collaborations (as with Ghazal's "The Rain"), has popularized Iranian music in Europe and the Americas. Another young composer who is bringing Persian music to a Western audience is Hafez Nazeri, who in 2000 founded the Rumi Ensemble. This album is a recording of the reconstituted group, which includes Hafez's father, the master Kurdish vocalist and intepretor of Sufi music, Shahram Nazeri. Instruments include the bowed kamecheh, barbat and seter, Persian lutes, and tombak, damam, and daf drums. This is powerful music. Hafez Nazeri, trained in both Persian and Western music, is an effective, innovative composer, and his father's passionately strong and subtle vocals are memorable. Whereas Sufi and Zen masters speak of don't-know mind, I do know that this is must-have album for world music lover and spiritual seeker alike."