SafarNameh by Ziya Tabassian

SafarNameh, which means travelogue in Persian, was born from years of exploration and practice, nurtured by my journeys through India and Thailand. I had also considered naming it Rot Fai, the Thai word for train, for throughout its creation I carried the image of a traveler by the window, watching the changing landscapes unfold to the rhythm of the road.

Each piece is rooted in a sixteen-beat cycle, yet each opens onto a different subdivision — like countless windows revealing new horizons. The rhythmic phrases played on the tombak, draw their pulse from Persian and Indian traditions, while the melodies, carried by the kamancheh, become faithful companions on this journey. The percussion, in turn, punctuates and stretches the breath of time, echoing the heartbeat of the road.

SoufiNameh unfolds around a traditional Persian melody, woven through the Barafshan cycle and explored in six different tempi. SaqiNameh, shaped from another traditional melody, moves in a seven-beat subdivision that blossoms into several sections. ShurNameh is anchored in the mode Shur, flowing within a six-beat pattern. HarbiNameh starts with a kamancheh solo, then sparks a dialogue between kamancheh and percussion over the Harbi cycle. PartowNameh explores the Chahargahmode with a five-beat division, whereas SaharNameh, in the mode Sahari, takes flight through a nine-beat subdivision. Finally, BaazNameh returns the journey to the calm regularity of a four-beat subdivision, threaded with a breath in three — a serene arrival, like the return to silence after traversing sonic landscapes.

I dedicate this album to the memory of Kam Thai Chow, who opened my eyes to the cultural richness of Thailand, and to Yogesh Samsi, who revealed to me the boundless ocean of Indian rhythms.

Ziya Tabassian began playing the tombak at the age of ten. After a brief initiation period in Iran, he continued his autodidactic training in Quebec, his adopted homeland. As a percussionist, he performs with several other musical groups. He has performed in more than 40 countries in prestigious festivals and concert halls.

He has many albums to his credit on some major labels.

ziyatabassian.com