Ayin-e Mastan – Seyed Khalil Alinejad

The album Ayin-e Mastan (“The Rite of the Enraptured”) by Seyed Khalil Alinejad was released in 2002; on it ten pieces are performed by a tanbur ensemble. It was arranged and recorded after the success of the album Sana-ye Ali and was well received. Unlike on the previous album, Seyed Khalil also used instrumental pieces, maqam playing (maqams being the traditional melodic pieces of the tanbur) and Kurdish zekrs (devotional invocations). Artists such as Kambiz Mohitmafi, Fariborz Shahebrahimi, Mir Farsad Maleknia (“Mir Tanbur”) and Siavash Ashrafi played the tanbur on the album; Ramin Kakavand both played the tanbur and the daf (frame drum).

Seyed Khalil Alinejad was the ensemble’s composer and singer. The tanbur ensemble consisted of Ramin Kakavand, Seyed Fariborz Shahebrahimi, Bahram Khani, Iraj Gerdooyi, Kambiz Mohitmafi, Siavash Ashrafi, Mir Farsad Maleknia and Seyed Mehdi Mousavi. Together they formed the Baba Taher Ensemble, which gave several concerts, including at Vahdat Hall.

The text of “Ali Bud” is based on a poem by Rumi that had earlier appeared as the song “Sana-ye Ali” on the album of that name; this time it was arranged in a new way and the text was changed somewhat. The song “Mowla Janam” also appears again on this album.

Digital edition: Hamavaz Ahang, 2010