Iranian singer praises Turkish acceptance

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Kayhan Kalhor (L) is no stranger to the Turkish music scene. He has played in Turkey on several occasions and has been collaborating with Erdal Erzincan for a long time.

Persian folk musician and three-time Grammy nominee Kayhan Kalhor joined his Turkish peer Erdal Erzincan on stage at garajistanbul on March 28. In an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News, Kalhor said audiences especially loved it when he played with Erdal Erzincan, with whom he has long been collaborating on stage and album projects.

Kalhor is no stranger to the Turkish music scene. He has played in Turkey on several occasions with a variety of ensembles and in various cities.

“Because of the sophistication of Turkish music lovers and the similarities between Turkish and Persian music, I have found a beautiful and accepting audience in Turkey and I look forward to concerts here,” he said.

His collaboration with Erdal Erzincan dates back to many years ago when a mutual friend introduced them. “We have been playing and recording together ever since, all over the world. Erdal’s and my musical appreciation, our backgrounds, our improvisational styles and our vision are shared, every time we are on stage together, it’s totally different and always exciting,” he said.

In fact Kalhor resided in Turkey for some time, and he said he had a particular love of Eastern folk music traditions. “So, I am quite familiar with many Turkish folk styles including Alevi, Kurdish and Laz music.”
Kayhan Kalhor is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh. His performances of Persian music and his many collaborations with other artists have attracted audiences around the globe. At 13, he was invited to work with the National Orchestra of Radio and Television of Iran, where he performed for five years. When he was 17 he began working with the Shayda Ensemble of the Chavosh Cultural Center, the most prestigious arts organization in Iran at the time. He has traveled extensively throughout Iran, studying the music of its many regions.

He has toured the world as a soloist with various ensembles and orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de Lyon. He is co-founder of the renowned ensembles Dastan, Ghazal: Persian & Indian Improvisations and Masters of Persian Music. He has composed works for Iran’s most renowned vocalists, Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri.