BARA

“Faraz Minooei is a young upcoming talent that we will hear more from in coming years in the world of Persian music". - Kayhan Kalhor

 

“True to its name, Barf-e Siah, literally translated, Black Snow, evokes the image of something that can't be but inevitably leaves you wondering: "what if it were...". In this piece the composer Faraz Minooei, at once pays homage to the rich tradition of Iranian classical and folk music while recognizing the modern man and, in an autobiographical sense, the complex life experiences of an immigrant life himself. Barf-e Siah, in a collage of Iranian classical music mixed with merz-like scraps of vaguely recognizable melodies all meandering through at times unconventional modes and harmonies, creates an abstract experience that when coupled with the relentless pouring hammer of santur, takes the listener through a dream-like walk in the falling black snow...” -  Naser Sheikhzadegan

                                                                                                                                      

“Faraz Minooei is the living embodiment of the santur, his every thought a string taut across bridges of ever-expanding cultural light, struck by a soul so finely tuned, that our consciousness is left resonating fearlessly across an ancestral terrain encompassing every corner of existence. The joyful precision to fold Monk's "Bemsha Swing" within the "Alegria" of flamenco, within still Iran's "Kereshme" and "Chahargah", marks Faraz as that brilliant source of sound that enables both an abstraction and unification of plural origin itself. In all, the Minooei path illuminates those bits of eternity within each of us called human, for his music overflows with a reflection and compassion that informs an intercultural concept that is deeply personal, truthful, and no less visionary.” - Dr. Hafez Modirzadeh

 

“Nostalgia or a tribute, the first thought that occurred to me upon hearing an intro, a melody reminiscent of Abol Hasan Saba’s “Zarde Malije” that takes one to a different world of melody and rhythm. The emotional sonority reminds me of Morteza Khan Mahjoobi, and I could “see” Parviz Meshkatian’s influence, while listening to the Chaharmezrab. All of these to me, show a musician at hand that finds his inspiration in his rich tradition while aspiring for the new...exactly what a creative musician should do.” - Kourosh Taghavi