Could you briefly introduce your music to someone new at WOMEX and share the key influences and origins of your unique sound?

We play the compositions of Christine Zayed, inspired by maqâms and mawazeen (Arab modes and rhythmic cycles), as well as the compositions of Sogol Mirzaei, inspired by the radif (the corpus of classical Iranian music). Together with Marie Suzanne de Loye, we arrange these pieces. Although these musics are highly codified, they offer a multitude of paths that continue to inspire and renew us. All our influences and inspirations surface in the details. Through our work, the music that unfolds results from the meticulous weaving of these details.

Could you share a personal anecdote or experience that impacted your musical journey and the evolution of your sound?

Each of us is deeply influenced by our training and the music we listen to (Iranian, Arabic, Baroque, Classical, Contemporary, Jazz, etc.). Sometimes, during the arrangement process, we disagree! Our backgrounds are so different that a proposed phrase or harmony from one of us might sound extremely stylistically connotated (even bordering on caricature!) to another. It is from these aesthetic frictions that our music is born: we push each other a little further.

In a world full of diverse musical genres, styles, and traditions, how do you believe your music stands out and brings something fresh and exciting to the audience’s ears?

We realized that this mix could surprise an audience who might come to listen to the qanoun, for example, and discover compositions marked by Iranian music or the sound of a viola da gamba. The starting point of a piece we write is certainly deeply personal, but as soon as we play it for the group and work on it together, the piece detaches itself from us and becomes a shared creation. For us, working together as a trio acts like photographic development: it makes visible images and emotions that were there but not yet seen. We are each influenced by the music we have studied or encountered. Each of us distills our influences (through an offbeat accent, a rhythmic formula, an unexpected chord, a playing style, a phrasing…), and it is from the weaving of all this that our music emerges. Once our pieces are heard, they belong as much to us as to those who resonate with them.

As WOMEX is not only the Worldwide Music Expo but also a lively global music funfair, are there any showcases you’re looking forward to attending and enjoying or artists participating that you would like to meet during those five days?

Sogol Mirzaei: As passionate fado fans, we can’t wait to listen to Cristina Clara for her unique voice and interpretation. We’re also eager to discover Pankisi together, as their music is extraordinary and completely unknown to us. Additionally, with Kamakan, we look forward to enjoying the music inspired by southern Iranian folk from our compatriots.

This edition of WOMEX will take place in Manchester, a city with a vibrant cultural scene and rich music history. Are you particularly passionate about any act coming from the city, and has the city’s musical heritage influenced your work, if at all?

Sogol Mirzaei: We can’t say that Manchester’s musical heritage has directly influenced our music, but personally, I was introduced to Western pop-rock through my partner’s listening habits. Artists like The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Joy Division, and Oasis made a big impression on me. As a fun fact, some of our audience have told us that the riffs in some of our compositions remind them of the guitar riffs in Stone Roses songs. We would also love to attend a concert at Matt and Phred’s Jazz Club, an iconic venue for jazz concerts in Manchester.

WOMEX is a unique opportunity to share and showcase your music with new people and inform them about your upcoming projects. Could you reveal some of your plans for the future?

We are preparing for our album release, which is the result of our work over the past three years. We can’t wait to share this album on international stages. On the 8th of November in Paris (where we all live), there will be a special evening for the Prix de Musiques d’Ici Awards. We are among the 2024 laureates, and this evening will be an opportunity to reunite with the two other winning groups (Benzine and Insolito Universo) and celebrate the release of Chakâm’s album together.

If you had to draft an invitation card for our readers to join you at WOMEX and enjoy your showcase, what would you write in it?

Dear Audience,

On stage, three accomplished musicians engage in a dialogue among 100 strings, their breaths alternating between vigor and tranquility to give voice to the song. The târ, the qanun, and the viola da gamba bring life to personal compositions and improvisations, subtly evoking nostalgia for lands left too soon, uprooting, and the idealization of an elsewhere that fades over time—but also discovery and renewal. For our Manchester debut, you are invited to this profound, joyful, and inspiring celebration.