Paul Caldani
Encyclopedia
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
scholar, and author of non-fictional Iranian folk tales. He was born on May 25, 1949, in Sanandaj
Sanandaj
Sanandaj , also Romanized as Senneh and Sinneh) is a city in and the capital of Kurdistan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 311,446, in 81,380 families....
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Growing up, he was always surrounded with music and he eventually taught himself to play the Tonbak
Tonbak
The tonbak or zarb is a goblet drum from Persia . It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music...
and the 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 ...
(Persian Instruments
Iranian musical instruments
Persian musical instruments can be broadly classified into three categories, namely classical, Western and folk. Most of Persian musical instruments spread in the former Persian Empires states all over the Middle East, Caucasus, Central Asia and Southern Asia...
) at the age of six, and went on to perform many concerts in Iran.
In 1958, an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian TV children's program invited him to perform live Kurdish dance
Kurdish dance
Kurdish dance is a group of traditional hand-holding dances similar to those from the Balkans, Lebanon and Eastern European countries. It is a form of round dancing, with a single or a couple of figure dancers often added to the geometrical centre of the dancing circle...
on TV where he performed Kurdish dance and playing the Tonbak
Tonbak
The tonbak or zarb is a goblet drum from Persia . It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music...
and 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 ...
until his late teens. Later, impressed by the music and he developed an intensive fascination with Iranian folk music
Iranian folk music
Despite all common roots the folk music in each different part of Iran has certain characteristics in correlation with its native myths, dialects, geographical and social situation...
, specifically Kurdish dance
Kurdish dance
Kurdish dance is a group of traditional hand-holding dances similar to those from the Balkans, Lebanon and Eastern European countries. It is a form of round dancing, with a single or a couple of figure dancers often added to the geometrical centre of the dancing circle...
and Kurdish music
Kurdish music
Kurdish music refers to music performed in Kurdish language.Traditionally, there are three types of Kurdish Classical performers - storytellers , minstrels and bards . There was no specific music related to the Kurdish princely courts, and instead, music performed in night gatherings is...
. At the age of 19, he became interested in learning to play the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. Within 2 years he became fluent in playing all three instruments under the direction of his music teacher, maestro Paulus Khofri
Paulus Khofri
Paulus Khofri was an Assyrian composer, lyricist and painter. He was born August 7, 1923 in Baghdad, Iraq and died in Tehran, Iran in May 2000 at the age of 77.-Biography:...
. In addition to dedicating his life to music, Paul obtained his B.A. degree in business management and in 2004 a master's degree in education curriculum, both with honors.
2002 Published Aramaic Hymns
Scholar
Paul's research focused on accelerating his music background through holistic and dynamic understanding of Iranian folk musicIranian folk music
Despite all common roots the folk music in each different part of Iran has certain characteristics in correlation with its native myths, dialects, geographical and social situation...
and also Assyro-Chaldean church hymns. The Iranian folk music was facilitated by the collecting over 1000 folk CDs and tapes and communicating with maestro and folk music schalor Dr. Mohammad Taghi Massoudieh (محمد تقی مسعودیه) and Mohammad Reza Darvishi (محمد رضا درویشی) in Iran in order to collect more data and documents from the several different dialects of Iran.http://www.golestaniran.org Consequently he joined a 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...
radio station in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, becoming a producer and broadcaster of Iranian folk music at Radio Iran 670 am KIRN.
Composer
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
, and Kurdish music
Kurdish music
Kurdish music refers to music performed in Kurdish language.Traditionally, there are three types of Kurdish Classical performers - storytellers , minstrels and bards . There was no specific music related to the Kurdish princely courts, and instead, music performed in night gatherings is...
. In 2002, The "Melodies of a Distant Land" was his first album which was created for all the Chaldeans in the Senaya community. A copy of this album is currently used as music reference at Harvard University's Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, under the direction of Prof. Wolfhart Heinrichs.
Writer and Translator
During his academic careers he was impressed by his Persian Literature professor, the late famous author of Iran Islam Kazimiyeh (اسلام كاظمیه), and had shown his interest in writing non-fiction stories, so under the direction of his professor he pursued to write non-fiction stories. He has written 141 short folk stories in Persian which had been broadcast on the Persian radio station, Radio Iran 670 am KIRN Los Angeles, California. Currently the copies of these audio have been stored in the archives of the radio station.Articles and publication
- Published several articles in Persian and English.
- Translated and published several articles from English to PersianPersian languagePersian 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...
for the Hamsayegan Persian-language newspaper published in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
). - Arranged & published an Aramaic hymns notation book for the Assyro-Chaldean Catholic Church.
Music works
- Instrumental Hymns Album labeled Aramaic hymns c.2000
- Melodies of a Distant Land Album music in the Senaya language. Music and lyrics by Paul Caldani c.2002
- Nobar Bahar, A Persian children's music album c.2003