When melodies and instruments transcend national borders…
Tarek Al Sayed and Shahab Azinmehr are virtuosos of the Eastern lute. The Iranian Shahab Azinmehr began to make music with singing, and also learned later on to play the Persian lute tar and setar. Mohammad Musavi, Dariush Talai and Reza Parvizzade are some of the masters thanks to whom he became a renowned soloist. Tarek Al Sayed studied the oud, the Arabic lute, in Alep, Syria. Since his arrival in Belgium, he made a great impression with projects such as Wajd of Jawa ensemble. He also stood on the podium of the Olympia and the Lotto Arena with Tamino. Tarek and Shahab got to know each other via Refa (ex-refugees for refugees). As a duo, they will present their own compositions, the lutes merging perfectly with the celestial voice of Shahab.
- Shahab Azinmehr: setar, vocals
- Tarek Al Sayed: oud
Throughout history, the regions of Southern Caucasus and Anatolia have been the witness of many encounters and separations. The inhabitants of these regions used to dance hand in hand in times of peace; during wars and genocides they were singing lamentations in their caravans. The A.G.A. trio – A.G.A. stands for Armenia, Georgia and Anatolia – unites musicians from the three regions in a beautiful line-up. As kaval-player Deniz Mahir Kartel visited Armenia in 2017, he met the duduk-player Arsen Petrosyan. Together they investigated Turkish-Armenian melodies and decided to give concerts, to share their enthusiasm with the public. To complete the trio, they just needed the accordionist Mikail Yakut. The kaval, the flute of shepherds and of gods, gets a beautiful color next to the duduk (double-reed instruments), that has a recognizable delicate sound. The A.G.A trio plays traditional music pieces, where the kaval and duduk are firmly supported by the distinctive accordion playing. These musicians believe that these nations should keep creating together, being aware of the impossibility to attribute their traditional music to one specific ethnicity.
- Arsen Petrosyan (Armenia): duduk
- Mikail Yakut (Georgia/Turkey): accordion
- Deniz Mahir Kartal (Turkey): kaval, divane, panduri