‘We will keep playing till we drop’
4 Dec 2012 5:35 AM IST
Who could have ever thought that the strains of Costa Rican music could merge in with the melodies of Iran and create some magic? Meet Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah. The two musicians have been performing together since 1980.
Bringing in the best from their diverse cultural roots in Costa Rica and Iran, they have created an eclectic blend of music adding their own special touch to the traditional acoustic guitar. Merging Afro-Caribbean, Latin American, Flamenco, Middle East and Jazz influences, their album Heat of the Sun spent four months in the top 10 of the World Music Charts and got them a Grammy nomination.
The musicians are on their India tour and are raring to give the Capital a taste of what makes these Grammy nominees the talk of town. Millennium Post caught up with the duo to discuss where it all began for Strunz and Farah.
How did it all start? How did you meet and decide to perform together?
Jorge was looking for someone to form a guitar duo with and a mutual friend (a Greek/English guitarist) arranged an introduction. We were playing very fast and difficult pieces like Monty’s Czardas at top speed and in harmony within hours of meeting each another.
Merging the sounds from Costa Rica and Iran — how did that happen?
It happened quite naturally. Since those are our roots, those flavours emerged and they simply worked well together. For example, on the album Guitarras, we did a piece entitled Mirage with the legendary Iranian singer Heyadeh. This was on the one hand very Iranian, but on the other, the rhythm Jorge played behind it was completely Latin folk. It worked very well, adding a unique propulsion to the piece.
Tell us about the making of Heat of the Sun...
We were in a transitional state with the band and we went into the studio and made it! As is usually the case, the music had already been performed in public at shows and so it was a natural next step to record the music.
What was the thought behind it?
The heat and passion of the title piece, among others.
What projects are you working on right now, and tell us about the ones in the pipeline...
We’re taking our time on a new project.
It’s been three decades and counting...what lies ahead?
We’ll play until we drop! Playing is what we do best!
DETAIL
Where: Siri Fort Auditorium
When: 5 December
Time: 7 pm onwards Passes available at Rhythm Corner
Cost: Rs 500 onwards
Bringing in the best from their diverse cultural roots in Costa Rica and Iran, they have created an eclectic blend of music adding their own special touch to the traditional acoustic guitar. Merging Afro-Caribbean, Latin American, Flamenco, Middle East and Jazz influences, their album Heat of the Sun spent four months in the top 10 of the World Music Charts and got them a Grammy nomination.
The musicians are on their India tour and are raring to give the Capital a taste of what makes these Grammy nominees the talk of town. Millennium Post caught up with the duo to discuss where it all began for Strunz and Farah.
How did it all start? How did you meet and decide to perform together?
Jorge was looking for someone to form a guitar duo with and a mutual friend (a Greek/English guitarist) arranged an introduction. We were playing very fast and difficult pieces like Monty’s Czardas at top speed and in harmony within hours of meeting each another.
Merging the sounds from Costa Rica and Iran — how did that happen?
It happened quite naturally. Since those are our roots, those flavours emerged and they simply worked well together. For example, on the album Guitarras, we did a piece entitled Mirage with the legendary Iranian singer Heyadeh. This was on the one hand very Iranian, but on the other, the rhythm Jorge played behind it was completely Latin folk. It worked very well, adding a unique propulsion to the piece.
Tell us about the making of Heat of the Sun...
We were in a transitional state with the band and we went into the studio and made it! As is usually the case, the music had already been performed in public at shows and so it was a natural next step to record the music.
What was the thought behind it?
The heat and passion of the title piece, among others.
What projects are you working on right now, and tell us about the ones in the pipeline...
We’re taking our time on a new project.
It’s been three decades and counting...what lies ahead?
We’ll play until we drop! Playing is what we do best!
DETAIL
Where: Siri Fort Auditorium
When: 5 December
Time: 7 pm onwards Passes available at Rhythm Corner
Cost: Rs 500 onwards
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