Check out the
Portals of Grace review
in Billboard
"It's unlikely that this year will bring a more spellbinding vocal album than Portals of Grace..."
 

Click here for sound clips and more information about PORTALS OF GRACE

Azam Ali

Azam Ali's new solo album entitled Elysium for the Brave is set for release on July 25, 2006 on Six Degrees Records.

The incredible voice of Niyaz and Vas branches out with what is being described as her most ambitious solo release to date.  The album entitled Elysium for the Brave weaves Ali's many influences into a haunting tapestry of atmospheric rock, electronic and global sounds. Singing predominantly in English for the first time, the songs are based on lyrics written by Azam herself and reveal a poetic lyricism heard only in glimpses in her previous works.

 Helping to seamlessly bring all of these diverse sounds together is a talented cast of musicians which includes King Crimson's rhythm section of Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto, Persian classical violinist Kiavash Nourai, Loga Ramin Torkian and Carmen Rizzo, Azam's collaborators in Niyaz, and noted film composers Tyler Bates and Jeff Rona, the latter of whom is known for his collaborations with Dead Can Dance.

For more information regarding this release and Azam's other solo and collaborative works please visit www.azamalimusic.com.

Azam Ali  completed work on two other projects which developed over the last couple of years. The first project NIYAZ is set for release on April 19th of 2005 on Six Degrees Records. Niyaz was founded by Azam Ali and Loga Ramin Torkian of Axiom of Choice and features the talents of programmer/ producer Carmen Rizzo, and percussionist/ vocalist Arash Khalatbari of Ekova. It is an electronic/acoustic project that explores the mystical poetry of Urdu and Persian Sufi poets. The result of this collaboration between these prominent artists is a truly unique and contemporary sound. For more information on Niyaz and on upcoming shows please visit www.niyazmusic.com (site in progress, check back if link isn't active yet.)

The second project ROSELAND will come as a surprise for most Vas fans since it features Azam singing entirely in English against a rock/ambient soundscape . Roseland is a partnership between Azam and prominent film composer/ guitar player Tyler Bates. They met four years ago when Azam and Greg contributed their talents to a film score for Tyler, soon after which a collaboration between the three evolved.

Although the project has morphed to being mostly a partnership between Azam and Tyler, it still features the always creative drumming and percussion of Greg Ellis as well and a number of other talented musicians. For more information on Roseland and the release of their first album please visit www.Roselandmusic.com  For more information on Tyler Bates please visit www.Tylerbates.com. (Sites in progress, check back if links aren't active yet.)

Portals of Grace

Having been born in Iran and grown up in India, my introduction to the music of Medieval Europe came a little after 1985 when I arrived in the United States. What initially struck me about the music was how similar the melodic sensibility was to the music of my heritage. I could not help but feel the same shudder of awe when I first heard the music of Hildegard Von Bingen as I did when I was a child walking by temples in India and hearing prayers and chants sung through the sound of ringing bells. I felt that even though the musical approach was quite different due to cultural differences, the root desire of the music, to commune with God and sing his praises, evoked the same sentiments. At times I feel this music strikes a chord within me that is as old as my soul itself and transcends the confines and myths of illusory time and space.

 It is hard for me to regard this body of work as a solo debut, given that these are all traditional pieces which have been around since before my lifetime and have been interpreted or recorded by numerous musical theorists and performers. I think of this album rather as a small detour from my work with Vas, not only to pay tribute to some of the music and composers that have inspired me on my musical journey, but to explore through these compositions the correlation between the music of Medieval Europe and the music of the Arab world.

Although any evidence as to the influence of Arabic music on the music of Medieval Europe proves to be highly ambiguous, there are many that believe the influence was great. Albeit, there are many purists who dispute this theory thus shying away from introducing any Arabic elements into their work. All this having been said, it is important to note that the evidence with respect to the true performances of some of these pieces, is veiled in the mystery of that time thus leaving much room for the numerous interpretations and theories that exist.

 My intent was to give this music a contemporary feel in hopes of exposing its beauty to people who with absolutely no reference point may find the more purist, academic approach to be too austere or inaccessible. However, having a vast collection of Medieval  music myself, I highly encourage anyone who responds to the works here to seek out the source of where this music comes from and to discover this magnificent treasure trove of our human legacy. It is for this reason I decided to show the many colors of Medieval  music by uniting the works of various regions and composers on one canvas.

But mainly my desire to do this project was born of a need to communicate with this music in my own way;  to honor the memory and echo the sentiments of all the magnificent voices that have sung these songs throughout the ages and kept them alive for all of us. I have abandoned all rules and restrictions in order to interpret these songs and chants in a way most natural to me and have sung them as honestly as possible, given that I do not speak the languages represented.

I believe that all artistic creation is a direct response to an innate call each artist receives. Sometimes that call comes in the form of nature, love, an experience etc., but for me that call has most often come in the form of music. I am constantly interacting with the music that I discover and love. I see this interplay as an ongoing dialogue and a longing in our quest for the divine. In Medieval  times the voice was regarded in the highest esteem, above all other instruments, for it reflected the purest image of God. I share this sentiment in that for me singing and praying are one in the same.

I see the human voice as a reflection of our truest self that is within us, through which we can mirror forth, either through prayer or song, the beauty and the Grace of God.

         ~ Azam Ali

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Musicians

Azam Ali – vocals, hammered dulcimer

Greg Ellis — frame drum, riq, dumbek, bells, keyboards, tuned gong and bowls, vocal drones, karkarba, cajon, nagara

Ethan James — hurdy gurdy, nyckelharpa

Shira Kammen — rebek, vielle

Dann Torrez — saz

Naser Musa — oud

Cameron Stone — cello

Pejman Hadadi — tombak, daf

Nicole Baker — soprano voice

Mark Beasom — bass voice

George Stearne — tenor voice

Chris Bleth — duduk