Aga Khan Master Musicians – Nowruz Review

What do Aga Khan Master Musicians sound like?

A global fusion of classical instruments to forge a powerhouse of traditional folk music starting a new era.

The review of Aga Khan Master Musicians – Nowruz

Nowruz is the Iranian or Persian New Year and is celebrated worldwide. It is on that backbone of joy and multiculturalism that Swiss-based Aga Khan Master Musicians release their debut album of the same name. This truly global and startling album showcasing so many instruments, skilled writers, and performers that it has taken me a while to review it.

Before describing the music I want to list off the instruments we have in the mix from the six members of the group. We have the Pipa from China, the Qanun from East Arabia and North Africa, and the Dutar from Iran bringing a plucked or malleted string mesh to the music. Then we have the Viola d’Amore bringing a bowed effect with sympathetic strings and the Duclar and saxophone pop in on occasion too. All this is supported by a pantheon of percussion from Africa, Asia and Europe. You can hear all the different references and cultures but the interplay between them is where this album shines. Listening to it sounds like a global experience – not one where you are just swapping out instruments constantly. It feels like each culture is in communion with the others and deciding to just jam it out for the joy of it.

For example ‘Tashkent’ is like an Iranian dance of celebration and devotion, hurtling along at pace whilst ‘Samai’ expresses mysterious beauty with its caravan of knocking drums behind romantic strings. ‘Teahouse’ lets the Pipa take centre stage for a bountiful and joyful Chinese piece but the percussion pulls from Africa too. ‘Madad’ is a sombre spiritual Duclar solo that acts as a cleanse from the previous intricacies we’ve experienced. A pause for breath.

‘Awdeh’ means return home and is full of Middle Eastern nostalgia. It was inspired by maqam music which is a Middle Eastern variation of classical music. As a result, this track features various instruments taking their turn to improvise in solos behind a pulsating lethargic frame drum. Dusty and full of gravitas, it is a big piece. ‘Mehan’ is its energetic opposite. A frantic exploration of the two-stringed Dutar and jaw harp, the frantic strums, plucks and the interplay between two-time signatures winds up the tension and drama. Like a spinning top in Tajikistan, it ramps up pace and complexity to its celebratory finale.

‘Moving away from ‘Cadence’ is a solo piece for Viola d’Amore and is inspired by Bach whilst feeling entirely Arabian. ‘Mashqi Dutar’ is a sister to ‘Mehan’ but merges together the Dutar with lots of other instruments. Pounding frame drums, shakers and saxophone make it a tour-de-force. ‘Jul Dance’ then brings all the members together for a Nordic-folk-inspired dance using all these instruments from around the world. It shows the most fragile, delicate side of Aga Khan Master Musicians in some segments and explodes into blooms of vibrant cascading sounds in others. It is possibly the jewel in the crown of the album in an album crammed full of them.

‘Autumn Flowers and Leaves’ brings the Pipa front and centre of a gorgeous solo piece. The song brings contemplation and elegance following several boisterous jigs and ‘Ili’ leans in further with curiosity. The track aims to combine the musical dialects of the Middle East and Central Asia and does so with a Tanbur improvisation before the Pipa, Qanun, Viola a’Amore and Saxophone join in. Slow, deliberate and curling around every corner, it’s the dusk track of the album. This soon gives way to the light and airy abundance of ‘Nowruz’ to close out the album. A track designed for campfires and to shout and throw your limbs about to, it is a global party of rhythm and melody.

I feel like I’ve spent so much of the review detailing the instrumentation but not enough time explaining how this album made me feel. I felt alive and vibrant from the first to the last note. I’ve always been a sucker for plucked or strummed instruments like dulcimers, psalteries and harps and to have a band where all of these kinds of instruments are present and interwoven gave me life. All six members of Aga Khan Master Musicians are virtuosos of their craft. They work each of their instruments into a melodic frenzy but never compete with each other when the band comes together for the more layered tracks. It is a sign of a band working truly in unison and only the best understand that. I adore this album and it would have been my recommendation for best folk album of 2023 had I been able to review it in time. A global tour-de-force that sounds and feels like no other. Don’t sleep on this. Aga Khan Master Musicians have created something truly special.

Recommended track: Jul Dance

---

Support Higher Plain Music

Higher Plain Music is part of the Higher Plain Network – a one-man indie media project. If you like what I do, please consider supporting me via Patreon for as little as $1/£1 a month. In return, you’ll receive additional perks for supporting me, such as behind-the-scenes content and free downloads. You can also donate using PayPal. Sharing the website helps too or using the affiliate buy now links on reviews. I receive a few pence per Amazon sale. All your support will enable me to produce better content, more often. I’d love to make this a full-time media network and your support can make that happen. Thank you.