CTMD | Beat of the Boroughs | Mehrnam Rastegari! (1/2)

A recent New York arrival, Mehrnam Rastegari (mehrnamrastegari.com) has quickly made a name for herself as one of the most prominent Persian musicians in the United States. In addition to her upbringing in traditional komancheh spike fiddle performance, she is an award-winning film score composer, singer, and violinist who brings Persian music in new directions by combining it with rock and modern fusion styles.

In this in-depth interview at her home, she discusses her musical roots, the Persian komancheh fiddle itself, her emigration from Iran to America, and her balancing of fusion and traditional musical styles. Interspersing the discussion are performances recorded at Figure 8 Recording by her ensemble, which includes Dara Anissi (Oud/lute), Daro Behrouzi (ney, saxophone), Martin Shamoonpour (percussion), and Jo Merchisson (kanoun).

Beat of the Boroughs is a new video series by the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD) celebrating the stories and sounds of local traditional artists from around the five boroughs. In these times, it is more important than ever to celebrate the remarkable contributions of immigrant artists and the central role they have always played in the making of New York City and the United States.

Founded in 1968, CTMD assists New York City’s immigrant communities to sustain their distinctive performing arts traditions and promotes cross-cultural understanding by sharing these art forms with audiences across the city. Nationally renowned for programs that combine research, documentation, presentation and education, CTMD assists immigrant communities in passing traditions to new generations.

Find out more online at ​www.ctmd.org​.

This program is generously funded by the Scherman Foundation and the Howard Gilman Foundation.

CTMD encourages donations: https://ctmd.org/donate

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