Series WO
World

Series WO

Included: four concerts
Prices: 38 to 128 €

This year’s world music series moves away from the familiar sounds of classical piano, strings, and wind instruments into the universe of plucked string instruments. While the Indian Sitar and the Tār, native to Iran and Afghanistan, belong to the family of long-necked lutes, the West African Kora most closely resembles a harp. The guitar completes the quartet of plucked string instruments.

Virtuoso Sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar continues the legacy of her famous father Ravi Shankar, embracing the language of classical Indian music. In her current programme, the artist, who performed as a soloist with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2017, blends the timbre of her song-like instrument, rich in overtones, with the other voices of her ensemble.

In addition to the Tār, Hossein Alizadeh, who studied in Berlin among other places and is now considered the most significant master of traditional Persian music, plays the Shourangiz. The name of the instrument, developed by Alizadeh himself, roughly translates to "giving passion."

Souad Massi is an unmistakable voice in world music. She began her career in her homeland of Algeria as a member of a heavy metal band; later, exiled in Paris, she established herself as a singer-songwriter. The influence of French chanson tradition, folk rock, and country music can be heard her works, which address profound political themes.

Sona Jobarteh, whose parents hail from England and Gambia, is the first-ever professional female Kora player. For a long time, the instrument was exclusively played by men, while women sang alongside. Jobarteh's ability to do both simultaneously demonstrates her impressive skill in bridging tradition and innovation.