Shanbehzadeh Ensemble
Encyclopedia
Shanbehzadeh Ensemble is an Iranian folk
band, formed in Bushehr
in 1990. The band offers a rare aspect of the traditional music and dance of the Persian Gulf
, more specially of the province of Bushehr, south of Iran and bordering Persian gulf.
The principal instruments of the ensemble are the neyanbān (bagpipe), neydjofti (flute
), dammām (drum
), zarbetempo (percussion), traditional flute, senj (cymbal
) and boogh (a goat’s horn). The Ensemble has delighted audience in Iran
, Europe
and North-America.
in 1990. In 1996 he was invited by the University of Toronto to teach a half-a-year course. In 2007 he was invited again by La Cité de La Musique of Paris to teach dance, singing and music. In 1998 he was named the professor and director of the House of Culture, Music and Dance of the Isle of Kish in Iran. That same year he portrayed himself in Talking with the Wind by Bahram Beyzaei.
Saeid Shanbehzadeh left Iran in 2002 and now lives in Paris.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band, formed in Bushehr
Bushehr
Bushehr Bushehr lies in a vast plain running along the coastal region on the Persian Gulf coast of southwestern Iran. It is the chief seaport of the country and the administrative centre of its province. Its location is about south of Tehran. The local climate is hot and humid.The city...
in 1990. The band offers a rare aspect of the traditional music and dance of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, more specially of the province of Bushehr, south of Iran and bordering Persian gulf.
The principal instruments of the ensemble are the neyanbān (bagpipe), neydjofti (flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
), dammām (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
), zarbetempo (percussion), traditional flute, senj (cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
) and boogh (a goat’s horn). The Ensemble has delighted audience in 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...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North-America.
History
The band was founded by internationally acclaimed Iranian musician and dancer, Saeid Shanbezadeh in 1990. Saied, who traces his ancestry to Zanzibar in East Africa, was born in Bushehr, Iran, where he started playing music at the age of 7 with the old masters of the music of the region. He began with percussions, singing, and traditional dance. At 20 he founded the group of Shanbehzadeh Ensemble and won the 1st prize at the Fajr Music Festival in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
in 1990. In 1996 he was invited by the University of Toronto to teach a half-a-year course. In 2007 he was invited again by La Cité de La Musique of Paris to teach dance, singing and music. In 1998 he was named the professor and director of the House of Culture, Music and Dance of the Isle of Kish in Iran. That same year he portrayed himself in Talking with the Wind by Bahram Beyzaei.
Saeid Shanbehzadeh left Iran in 2002 and now lives in Paris.
Current members
- Saeid Shanbezadeh – neyanbān, neydjofti, dammām
- Naghib Shanbehzadeh - tombak, zarbetempo
- Habib Meftah-Busheri