"Axis of Love---an antidote to the divisive rhetoric of politics---is
committed to creating unity between members of diverse faiths, beliefs and
nationalities. These artists pursue the belief in collaboration as a vital
tool to the growth of music and the mutual enrichment of people in
recognizing the value and contributions of the whole human race and the
power of music and poetry to heal divisions in times of turmoil." Thus reads
the artist's statement on the mission of the Axis of Love concert, which
took place Sunday evening, June 8 at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood.

The collaborative world music event blending classical, folk & jazz
traditions of Persia, India & America, began with the Arohi Ensemble, with
the Hollywood Hills serving as a perfect backdrop for an enchanting evening
of music and celebration.The ensemble performed five songs in the first hour
of the program. The first song, "Potri Potri" ("Blessing") featured vocalist
Geetha Bennett, but the remainder of the hour, was strictly instrumental
with long improvisations weaved throughout the set by four musicians. Now,
the whole point of improvisation is obviously to "improvise" without a
pre-determined direction, however, I felt that this might have been better
suited for an audience of hardcore jazz fusion aficionados, rather than a
group of folks expecting to hear a more "traditional" middle-eastern
repertoire. I think if one was a fan of "improvisational music" it might
have been easier to concentrate on the stylings of the musicians, otherwise
the long jam sessions--although expertly played--were a little too drawn
out.

Next came the Liän Ensemble, a total of eight performers, stepping onto the
colorfully lit stage. The musicians were both Persian, American, and from
other corners of the globe. Some of the musicians from the Ahori Ensemble
also played during this second set, with the difference being the extreme
change in the musical approach. In fact, the music and the vocal stylings
of Siamak Shajarian, were very traditional, in a time-honored way that an
older generation of purist Iranians (i.e. my dad!) can appreciate. In fact,
I saw some members of the audience moved to tears after hearing the words of
legendary poets Akhavansales, Attar and Rumi sung to compositions that
utilized both Eastern and Western instruments, from the guitar to the
tonbak. Some points that stood out for me during the performance were
percussionist's Randy Gloss's maneuvering of his frame drum, which had to be
seen to be believed, and Houman Pourmehdi, who is a truly accomplished and
multi-talented musician who really shined bright throughout the hour of his
performance with his versatility in playing multiple instruments and singing
with Siamak to create an audio illusion of an echo. The musicians were
perfectly in sync with one another, transitioning seamlessly and from one
instrument and note to the next. It was a joy to witness this energetic
collaboration of people coming together who may not share the same language,
but instead share the universal language of music.

The musicians who performed in "Axis of Love" included Houman Pourmehdi
playing tonbak & daf (traditional percussion) and ney (Persian reed pipe),
Mahshid Mirzadeh playing santur (Persian dulcimer), Pirayeh Pourafar playing
tar, (Persian plucked strings) and vocalist Siamak Shajarian, David Johnson
on marimba, Pedro Eustache on world winds, Geetha Bennett on Indian vocals,
Paul Livingstone on 9 & 11 string fretless guitars, Leonice Shinneman on
Afro-Indian drum set & percussion, Anand Bennett on contrabass & mandacello
and Randy Gloss on percussion.

The Liän and Arohi Ensembles, both based in Los Angeles, have been
collaborating on numerous unity concerts for two years, starting with their
"Paths of Faith, Roads of Reconciliation" concerts conceived in the wake of
the events of September 11, 2001.

This event was presented by the Persian American Cultural Center & Sangeet
School of World Music. For more information on upcoming events, plaese
visit, www.lianrecords.com, www.sangeetschool.org, and www.tanpura.com.

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