Niyaz is an Iranian musical trio. The group was created in 2005 by DJ

Disc jockey

A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

, programmer/producer and remixer Carmen Rizzo

Carmen Rizzo

Carmen Rizzo is a producer and music engineer who has worked with Alanis Morissette, Oakenfold, Kate Havnevik, Huun-Huur-Tu, Temposhark, Jem, Niyaz and Esthero. In addition, he has recorded his own albums entitled The Lost Art of the Idle Moment , Ornament of an Imposter , and Looking Through...

, vocalist and hammered dulcimer

Hammered dulcimer

The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...

 player Azam Ali

Azam Ali

-Biography:Born in Tehran, Iran 1970, Ali spent most of her childhood in Panchgani, India. Ali and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California in 1985, after which Ali discovered the santour...

, formerly of the group Vas

Vas (band)

Vas was an alternative world musical group composed of Persian vocalist Azam Ali and American percussionist Greg Ellis. Vas is frequently compared to the Australian band Dead Can Dance. The band released four full-length albums, and both artists have released a few solo albums and participated in...

, and Ali's husband, Loga Ramin Torkian

Loga Ramin Torkian

Loga Ramin Torkian is a musician who has worked with the groups Axiom of Choice and Niyaz. Both groups incorporate Persian and Middle Eastern themes into their music. Torkian composes music and plays several instruments, including the tar, the Turkish saz, and the guitarviol, an electric...

, of the Iranian crossover group Axiom Of Choice

Axiom of Choice (band)

Axiom of Choice is a southern California based world music group of Iranian émigrés who perform a fusion style incorporating Persian classical music and Western classical music.- History :...

. "Niyaz" means "yearning" in both Persian

Persian language

Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

 and Urdu

Urdu

Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

.

Niyaz's music, described as "mystical music with a modern edge", is primarily a blend of Sufi

Sufism

Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...

 mysticism and trance electronica. Niyaz adapts Persian, Indian and Mediterranean folk sounds, poetry and songs including the poetry of Sufi mystic Rumi, with Western electronic instrumentation and programming.

Their self-titled debut album

Niyaz (album)

Niyaz is the debut album of the Iranian music group Niyaz, an acoustic electronic project. The word "Niyaz" means "yearning" in Persian and Urdu.Niyaz reached #12 in the Billboard Top World Albums chart....

 in 2005, combining 13th century Sufi and ancient Indian

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 poetry with "swirling, hypnotic beats". Their 2008 follow-up album, Nine Heavens

Nine Heavens

Nine Heavens is the second album of Iranian music group Niyaz, an acoustic electronic project. It was released on June 24, 2008 on Six Degrees Records.The album is divided into 2 discs...

, featured two discs; the second disc contained acoustic renditions of the tracks on the first disc. Niyaz is currently working on their third album, which is slated for release in 2012.