Negarehaye Rangin

The folk music of Iran can be compared to the kaleidoscopic beauty of the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz. It is like the sunlight filtering through the colorful Persian stained-glass windows, illuminating the Persian carpets decorated with myriad embellished patterns and spread over the turquoise tiles. All are surrounded by ornate mosaic artworks and calligraphies on the walls and columns beneath the breathtaking ceiling, crafted with tile works and countless floral patterns.

"Negarehaye Rangin” (Colorful Impressions in Persian) has been written with the same impression that Persian folk music left on me. The expressive melodies, vivid rhythms, embellished songs, textural characteristics, and intimate narratives beneath each piece, all rooted in the heart of the culture, were my initial source of inspiration.

The first movement is based on an energetic and rhythmic Kurdish folk song that portrays a passionate love story. In the second movement, Deylamān, I draw inspiration from a folk song that has been with me since childhood, called "Âvâz-e Heybat," originating from a city of the same name in the Gilan province of northern Iran. This song narrates the tale of a courageous female fighter who challenged the monarchy of the Qajar dynasty as part of the Nehzate-Jangal (Jungle Movement: 1915-1920). Finally, the third movement, Kurmanji Dance, draws inspiration from the Kurdish folk dances known as Qarase, rooted in northern Khorasan within Kurdish culture.

"Negarehaye Rangin" is featured on both the Maat Saxophone Quartet's debut album, "Ciudades," and the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet's debut album, "Intersections."