Omid Lotfi Kamkar is a

setar A setar ( fa, سه‌تار, ) is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more than two and a half octa ...

and

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 ...

player. He is a classical Persian ensemble musician and he tours the world with

The Kamkars , fa, کامکارها , image = , caption = , image_size = , background = classical_ensemble , alias = Kamkar Ensemble , origin = Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran , genre ...

, an Iranian Kurdish group composed of Omid, his seven uncles, and his mother. He has also toured with his musician father,

Mohammad Reza Lotfi Mohammad-Reza Lotfi ( fa, محمدرضا لطفی; 1 January 1947 – 2 May 2014) was an Iranian classical musician renowned for his mastery of the tar and setar. He collaborated with singers such as Mohammad-Rezā Shajarian, Hengameh Akhavan, ...

. Omid was born in the city of

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, in 1977, and studied music at the early age of five under the supervision of his family The kamkars. His focus at first was on the contemporary

Iranian music The music of Iran encompasses music that is produced by Iranian artists. In addition to the traditional folk and classical genres, it also includes pop and internationally celebrated styles such as jazz, rock, and hip hop. Iranian music influ ...

, but later at the age of 20 he studied the traditional repertoire, the

Radif Radif ( fa, ردیف, meaning ''order'') is a rule in Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry which states that, in the form of poetry known as a ghazal, the second line of all the couplets (''s'' or ''shers'') ''must'' end with the ''same'' word/s. Th ...

. Omid was deeply inspired by his uncle

Ardavan Kamkar , fa, کامکارها , image = , caption = , image_size = , background = classical_ensemble , alias = Kamkar Ensemble , origin = Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran , genre ...

and his father Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Omid started his performing career in 1993 at Vahdat Auditorium of Iran. He has performed regularly in Iran and throughout the world. Besides his musical career, Omid has had a lifelong passion for vipassana meditation. Since 1997, he has practiced vipassana meditation under the instructions of

S. N. Goenka Satya Narayana Goenka (ISO 15919: ''Satyanārāyaṇ Goyankā''; ; 29 January 1924 – 29 September 2013) was an Indian teacher of Vipassanā meditation. Born in Burma to an Indian business family, he moved to India in 1969 and started tea ...

. As a member of

The Kamkars , fa, کامکارها , image = , caption = , image_size = , background = classical_ensemble , alias = Kamkar Ensemble , origin = Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran , genre ...

, Omid has given numerous concerts in Iran and abroad.

References

External links

Omid lotfi Kamkar's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lotfi, Omid Kamkar 1977 births Living people Iranian setar players Musicians from Tehran Daf players Dayereh players 21st-century drummers