David Dalle
Thursday January 13th, 2022 with David Dalle
I Will Not Stand Alone by Kayhan Kalhor; new music from Niger and Cabo Verde; music from Cameroon and Liszt.

These cold winter days of isolation have put me in a certain frame of mind for music. I want the music of a solitary figure, that calls out from the darkness to whoever will hear. For today, that is the music of Kayhan Kalhor and his magnificent 2011 album "I Will Not Stand Alone". It was written in reaction to events in Iran, but could have been written this past year in reaction to the pandemic. As Kayhan Kalhor wrote: "During the early period of unrest in my country, I felt very isolated. This was one of the most difficult stages in my life, where darkness and violence seemed to be taking over. Closing in allowed me the time to rethink music: not technically...but this period allowed me to see the importance of music and how it can open doors of hope. It took me a while to understand this, and the events I witnessed crystallized many things for me. I chose to be with the people and play music for them, feeling more connected than ever before. This album is a product of that dark period. The process of making this music and letting it be heard allowed me to realize I will not stand alone." On this album, Kayhan performs on the Shah Kaman, a custom instrument created for Kayhan by Australian instrument maker Peter Biffin and named by Kayhan. "Shah Kaman" means "King of Kamancheh". It is similar to the kamancheh but has an extra playing string and seven sympathetic strings (the kamancheh has none), giving it a richer, more vibrant tone. "I Will Not Stand Alone" is a suite with eight unbroken movements on the Shah Kaman accompanied by Ali Bahrami Fard on the rare bass santour. It is passionate, profound, heart wrenching, with a shimmer of hope. Music at its very best. We will hear "I Will Not Stand Alone" in the second half of the program.