The Shams Ensemble is a musical group that performs traditional Sufi and classical Iranian music with the tanboor, Daf

Daf

A daf is a frame drum used as a musical instrument in popular and classical music. The term daf is used in Iran / Kurdistan for a large drum that has a series of four interlinked rings in the frame. Daf is mostly used in Middle East, Iran, Armenia, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and ...

 (frame drum), Ney

Ney

The ney is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. It is a very ancient instrument, with depictions of ney players appearing in wall paintings in the Egyptian pyramids and actual neys being found...

 and various other percussion instruments. The group was founded by composer Kaykhosro Pournazeri.

History

Pournazeri formed the Shams Ensemble with a vision of bringing back the lost art of tanboor through compositions that fused the tanboor with other traditional classical mode instruments.

He invited fellow musicians who were familiar playing such classical pieces, they eventually became a popular musical ensemble in Iran. Initially, the group performed under the name of Tanboor-e-Shams, but adding traditional and Kurdish music to their performances, they took the name of the Shams Ensemble.

The Shams Ensemble has performed at over 300 international venues and was on tour in the United States in 2008 during the month of October.

Performers

Over the years, there have been more than fifty players and singers, the majority of whom were Pournazeri's students. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, women were banned from performing solo in front of men—that includes singing or playing any instruments. Only recently, women have been included as vocalists and players of the tanbour. Currently, the Shams Ensemble has 15 players.

External links

• Shams Ensemble Touring U.S. This Month
• The World