Wanted to feature more non-western music this month, so here’s the final piece from The Rain, a euphoric, improvised live album featuring kamancheh (Iranian bowed string instrument) player Kayhan Kalhor, sitar player Shujaat Husain Khan and tabla player Sandeep Das, all masters of their art. This is a truly special collaboration.
I can’t quite remember how this record came into my hands, but I’m thankful for whoever recommended it to me. It’s refreshing to hear musicians with such skill working in tandem with one another, especially when the results are this brilliant. The performers know how to tell a story and weave their narratives in amongst the other voices beautifully. There are some great call and response sections in this track, which is one of the reasons I wanted to focus on this one.
Forget all this chill electronic playlist nonsense: this is the perfect type of music to get lost in. To submit yourself to. To bow out of life for a fleeting moment and enter the world that these skilled storytellers have created, all on the fly.