QUIETER THAN SILENCE
MEHDI AMINIAN & MOHAMAD ZATARI
Purchase HARD COPY here
€ 199,-
Special price for our last 10 remaining albums for the Fundraising Campaign
ABOUT
“Quieter than Silence” is an international, multicultural, independent project of the Roots Revival Cultural Association.
“Quieter than Silence” was born from a story of friendship, beyond stereotypes and political conflicts, between an Iranian - Mehdi Aminian and a Syrian - Mohamad Zatari in Bucharest. The project grew, when Leila Soldevila Renault (France), Behnam Masoumi (Iran) and Zabih Vahid (Iran) accepted the invitation to join them.
“Quieter than Silence” is rooted in Syrian, Persian and Sufi music cultures, applying various rhythmical and timbral elements throughout the process. This makes it a unique artistic repertoire and difficult to attribute to any particular geographical identity.
The ongoing conflicts around the world and the current tragedy in Syria in particular, contemporary existential issues, mystic Sufi literature and poetry, and the various musical traditions from around the globe are the main inspirations in this album and its new approach to composition, rhythm and melody. Musically, it is a synergy between different instruments including ney, setar, oud, kamancheh, percussion, double bass and vocal.
“Quieter than Silence” is not a political statement, rather an aesthetics response to the current political climate.
This album is a dedication to the wandering Syrians, who are suffering from distress and grief. It is a compassionate gesture and a protest against all the empty noise in the world.
Why “Quieter than Silence”?
What is this metaphor we call silence? In our music, silence does not want to abstain from utterance. On the contrary, it wants to render the intentional or imposed state of muteness on the way to universal consciousness and to sublime awareness. This music intends to create a space beyond silence (“Quieter than silence”), of the complete dissolution of speech. Speech that has been emptied of meaning in an ever noisier and aggressive world. A world where less than ever is being done to revive the human dignity trampled under never ending consumerism, wars, conflicts, nationalism and their consequences. This is an era where words and communication have lost their primary function.
This project makes the symbolic journey of returning to nothingness, a tabula rasa of existence in order to invest sounds with a new creative power, worthy of dialogue.
ARTISTS
MEHDI AMINIAN
IRAN - NEY, SETAR, VOCALS
With studies in both Eastern and Western musical cultures and in ethnomusicology, with more than 10 years of experience as a performer and producer, Mehdi Aminian is the initiator of Roots Revival, an international project and association.
By the two albums - The ancient call (Maramureș) and Colors of Maria – he halted on Romanian folk realms and through Quieter than Silence he brings values of Middle East in the spotlight, more specifically that of Syria and Persia.
The influence of Iranian traditional music and the mystic Sufi literatures alongside his understanding of different musical cultures from around the globe, are Mehdi’s various sources of inspiration in his compositions and his new approach to rhythm and melody.
For more information about Mehdi Aminian
MOHAMAD ZATARI
SYRIA - OUD
Mohamad Zatari has started his artistic career in Syria, as an oud performer, where he mastered the classical Levantine style as well as Egyptian, Iraqi and Turkish styles, guided by local masters.
Later on after moving to Europe he has developed his composition skills, both in the Arabic Music System and in European Classical Music. Mohamad is currently focused in growing his knowledge in studying the Western Classical and its influences and mutual inspirations on the Arabic Music systems.
“Quieter than Silence” for Mohamad is in particular an opportunity to present oud as a mighty instrument to connect in his style the eastern and western musical cultures.
More information about Mohamad Zatari
LEILA SOLDEVIDA RENAULT
FRANCE - DOUBLE BASS
Performing on piano and double bass, Leila studied classical music and jazz improvisation in renowned institutions dedicated to music education in France and the Netherlands.
Currently, Leila is involved in various projects of jazz, tango, classical music, pop, and those for traditional music, such as the Kurdish, Russian, and French and last but not least, oriental.
Leila Soldevila Renault’s contribution to Quieter than Silence, is her rich understanding of harmony and not only creating a fertile harmonious ground for the musicians and their compositions, but to contribute with rich melodic lines.
The bass is omnipresent throughout the album, as an interior voice.
More information about Leila Soldevila Renault
BEHNAM MASOUMI
IRAN - PERCUSSION
Behnam Masoumi is graduated from the Tehran Conservatory where he studied polyrhythmic system of Persian music.
The Iranian percussionist, was guided in his career by: Ramin Rahimi, Aarash Farhangfar, Pejham Akhavas, Navid Afghah, Pejman Hadadi, whom he considered mentors.
Behnam worked with different soloists and bands, performed film music, and recorded more than 15 albums, performed in Iran and abroad, in Asia, Australia and Europe.
In Quieter than Silence, Behnam Masoumi, provides the reliable pulses and beats with his instruments: tombak, udu, bendir, and using new techniques for producing various percussion effects.
More information about Behnam Masoumi.
ZABIH VAHID
KAMANCHEH - IRAN (GUEST MUSICIAN IN "HOW LONG?")
Zabih Vahid is an Iranian prominent Kamancheh player and a composer from Esfahan.
His refined Kamancheh playing is the result of growing up in a musical family and meeting and living with the best masters of Iranian traditional music.
He later graduated from Tehran conservatory and His tendencies to composition had mutual effects in both his Kamancheh style and his composition abilities.
Zabih has composed many film scores for various movies and TV series in the past years. Zabih currently resides in Iran and is involved in several projects as a composer, project leader and the Kamancheh player.
Zabih participated as the guest of honor in “Quieter than Silence” and his unique Kamancheh Style alongside with his technical suggestions has enriched the final product.
VIDEO
Quieter Than Silence
LIVE DATES & TICKETS
QTS in Vienna
Add some more info about this item...
Quieter than Silence in Vienna - Ruprechtskirche
Monday, November 25, 2019 at 8 PM – 9:30 PM
We are performing "Quieter than Silence" for the first time in Austria, in the oldest Church of Vienna, the Ruprechtskirche (English: St. Rupert's Church).
The musicians performing in this evening are:
Mehdi Aminian - Ney, Setar, Vocals
Mohamad Zatarii - Oud
Guest musicians:
Pouyan Kheradmand: Santur, Setar
Amir Wahba: Percussion
Emmanuel Hovhannisyan: Duduk
GALLERY
PRESS
Roots Revival, din nou, în concert la Sala Radio - București
Roots Revival lanseaza un nou album - "Quieter than Silence" / Mai tăcut decât liniștea.
Lansarea de album va fi urmată de un turneu în București, Brașov și Bistrița.
Concertul principal al turneului va avea loc, sâmbătă, 11 noiembrie 2017, orele 19:00, la Sala Radio (Studioul Mihail Jora),în co-producție cu Radio România.
Roots Revival lansează albumul "Quieter than Silence
Formația Roots Revival lansează, în cadrul unui concert susținut pe 11 noiembrie, de la ora 19,00, la Sala Radio din București, albumul "Quieter than Silence"/"Mai tăcut decât liniștea", o formă de exprimare a compasiunii artiștilor pentru sirienii aflați în suferință, mâhniți și pribegi, informează un comunicat transmis AGERPRES.
