Fared Shafinury: Exploring Persian Classical & Psychedelic Territories

“His compositions…move against the current, by retracing the arc from West to East …not for a departure from Iranian form nor the emulation of Western genres, but arrival at the point where binaries and boundaries bleed and blend until they dissolve completely.” – Frontline, PBS.org

Fared Shafinury is an artist that best represents the hyphenated-generation of Iranian-Americans today. He is a critically acclaimed composer, vocalist, poet, Persian setarist and multi-instrumentalist, that has effectively unearthed his ancestral roots in classical Persian music & poetry, as well as reinvigorating the ancient sound with influences ranging from American folk/rock/blues to classical & folk Iranian music. Fared seamlessly improvises between Eastern and Western themes and modalities, creating a bridge between Persian classical and psychedelic territories. For this special evening, Fared will be presenting compositions from his upcoming album, COLDFRONT, accompanied by 1960’s trancelike scenes from Sergei Parajanov’s “The Color of Pomegranates.” Images from the film were inspired by the life and poetry of 18th-century Armenian poet, Sayat Nova (‘The King of Song’).

Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.