The Mastān Ensemble (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: گروه مستان - ''Gorouh-e Mastān'') is an Iranian musical group performing traditional Persian music.

History

The group was founded as Hafez Ensemble in 2005 by Sa'id Jafarzādeh Homāy (سعيد جعفرزاده هماي), also known as Parvāz Homāy (پرواز همای) and Homāy Foomani. The group's performance follows a Persian tradition of music making known as ''Chāmeh Sarā'i'' (چامه سرایی) according to which one person is in charge of writing the poems, composing the musics, arranging the instruments as well as singing the songs. The instruments employed by this Ensemble include

Daf Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbe ...

Dayereh Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbe ...

, Kamāncheh,

Lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

Reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

, Robab,

Santour The santur (also ''santūr'', ''santour'', ''santoor'') ( fa, سنتور), is a hammered dulcimer of Iranian origins.--- Rashid, Subhi Anwar (1989). ''Al-ʼĀlāt al-musīqīyya al-muṣāhiba lil-Maqām al-ʻIrāqī''. Baghdad: Matbaʻat al-ʻU ...

, Tār and

Tonbak The ''tombak'' ( Persian: تمبک), ''tonbak'' (تنبک), or ''zarb'' (ضَرب) is an Iranian goblet drum. It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music. The tombak is normally positioned diagonally across the torso ...

. The ''Mastān Ensemble'' derive their inspirations from such

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

poets as

Farid ad-Din Attar Abū Ḥamīd bin Abū Bakr Ibrāhīm (c. 1145 – c. 1221; fa, ابو حامد بن ابوبکر ابراهیم), better known by his pen-names Farīd ud-Dīn () and ʿAṭṭār of Nishapur (, Attar means apothecary), was a PersianRitter, H. ( ...

Hafez Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī ( fa, خواجه شمس‌‌الدین محمّد حافظ شیرازی), known by his pen name Hafez (, ''Ḥāfeẓ'', 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "Hafiz", ...

and

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...

. The performances of this Ensemble are emotionally intense and the thoughts and meanings conveyed by their musics and songs are both philosophical and contemplative. Mastan played their debut U.S. performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2008. beside United States they also toured in Europe and Canada.http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/arts/2009/09/090920_pb_newyork_mastan.shtml (Persian)
Mastan are not allowed to release their works in Iran.

Members of the Ensemble

* Parvaz Homay Homāy (پرواز همای), better known as Parvāz Homāy, Singer, composer of music and song, and conductor''Eshgh-e Man'' (My Love), in Persian, . * Esfandyār Shāh'mir, Daf * Mahmoud Nozari, Santour * Alireza Mehdizadeh, Kamancheh & Gheychak * Sahab Torbati, Tonbak * Nima Delnavazi, Tar * Saeid Fahimi, Ney Former musicians: * Arjang Faramarzi, Tonbak * Pasha Hanjani, Ney * Sina Jahanabadi, Kamancheh * Azad Mirzapour, Tar * Ali Pajuheshgar, Barbat

References

External links

Official web page of Homay & The Mastan ensemble
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mastan Ensemble, The Persian classical music groups