Shahriyar Jamshidi

Kurdish Kamānche player | composer | and vocalist with pronounced cultural background. https://shahriyarjamshidi.com

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The sun rises from the East (Rojhelat)—the 2726 Kurdish Neworz will be the beginning of freedom and unity in Kurdistan!

Newroz, is the genuine, boundless celebration, entirely connected to nature, while many festivals are built on religious identities.

Happy Newroz, the Spring equinox, to all my friends wherever they live.

Roj li Rojhelat hiltê! Newroza 2726an, pîrozbahiya azadî û yekîtîye li Kurdistanê ye.

خۆر لە ڕوژهەڵاتەوە هەڵدێت! نەورۆزی ٢٧٢٦، ئاهەنگی سەربەستی و یەکگرتووییە لە کوردستان

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Very excited to see the music from My Sunset-Land, Rojava album accompanying the five-episode mini series podcast "Women's revolution in North East Syria" Rojava, which is the result of the recent Syrian visit of a volunteer journalist, Virginia Li!

After the Fall: Dispatches from the Women's Revolution in North-East Syria

This five episode mini series brings us to north-east Syria to look at the Women’s Revolution in Rojava after the fall of the Assad regime.

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Torontonian friends and music lovers, I return to Canadian Music Centre stage, bringing my new original pieces to perform and sing a solo concert inspired by Autumn under the philosophical title of Abscission, “Gallārizhān” in Kurdish Sorani گەڵاڕێژان or in Kurmanji phonetics “Gellarêjan”.

Abscission

A VIBRANT IMAGE OF KURDISH MUSICAL THEMES UNDER THE POWER OF AUTUMN WILL BE REVERBERATED ON SHAHRIYAR JAMSHIDI’S KAMĀNCHA SOLO PERFORMANCE.

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👉 Do you know you can listen to my released albums on Spotify?

👉 Ma hûn dizanin ku dikarin li ser Spotify li hemî albûmên min ên derketine guhdarî bikin?

👈 ئایا دەزانن کە بە ئاسانی دەتوانن گوێ لە هەموو بەرهەمەکانم لە سپاتیفای بگرن؟

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I'm thrilled to become a member of the Canadian Music Centre "Associate Composer" community. This is an important step to recognize musicians with non-Western musical educations and the diverse musical genres in Canada!

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I am sharing a segment of my long solo concert at Sound Symposium XXI, performed at D.F. Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada in July 2024.

👉🏾 PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY ▶️ CHANNEL🔥

The Kurdish musical system is part of the West Asian and ancient Mesopotamian culture engrained in microtonal music, which has spread across the vast area of the region across the Zagros mountains crossing Iraqi and Turkish borders through central Asia - the area is called Kurdistan.

The vocal melodies have the main role in structuring the Kurdish themes and modes (Maqams). "Elawaysî" (Alavaysi) Mode was born and polished in Xaneqîn (Khanaqin) “Başûr” (Southern Kurdistan) in Iraq. Elawaysî presents the major modal scale's texture with the main view of the minor mode. Elawaysî mode is part of the special Kurdish modes' group called Elwenatî (Alwanati) modes related to the name of the Alwand river from the same area. Elwenatî vocal group had a potential role in extending other modes in Başûr and "Rojhelat" Eastern Kurdistan in Iran shaping the Kurdish classical vocal and instrumental music styles there.

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Overwhelmed with gratitude for the Canada Arts Council’s support of my composition project at Banff Musicians in Residence 2025. Your recognition motivates me to strive for even greater achievements in my music journey.  

📸: Abigaile Edwards, Banff Center

👉🏾 Artwork on the image background by Dara Aram

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Friends and music lovers in the Toronto area look forward to seeing you on May 31 at the Canadian Music Centre.

Gelî dost û hevalên hêja! Lînka biletên konsera me ye 31ê Gulanê. Em bi kelecanek mezin li benda we ne.

Bayê Bakûr (Northern Breeze)

Kurdish themes from Zagros Mountains through Çiyayê Agirî (Ararat) mountain area present in solo kamānche pieces, Dengběi and Strān (song).

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I had a memorable noon-hour concert at Conrad Grebel University, Waterloo, Canada, just on the last day of the winter, welcoming the beginning of the Spring & Newroz.

📸: Roxana Khoshravesh

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I have four released albums on Bandcamp available, it is another Bandcamp Friday to support independent musicians.

Feel free to visit my Bandcamp page to listen & of course get your digital copy. 🙏🏿

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Very excited about my upcoming solo concert "Noon Hour Concert: Enthusiastically in the Circle" at University of Waterloo & Conrad Grebel University College on March 19th.

📸: Ali Al-lami

Kurdish music

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"The international community must immediately urge the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of arbitrarily detained humanitarian aid worker Pakhshan Azizi, who was sentenced to death following a grossly unfair trial"

Iran: Urgent global action needed to halt imminent execution of Kurdish humanitarian worker

Responding to reports that Iran’s Supreme Court rejected the request for judicial review of the conviction and death sentence of humanitaria

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The last three weeks of incredible residency in January 2025 were full of creativities, musical activities and communications in a diverse art community. I was privileged to meet and work with over fifty artists, faculties, and Banff members including Kronos Quartet at the dreamy Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in the heart of the mountains which has filled me with inspiration and joyfulness every moment I spent there.

👉 I performed two separate performances; one was a SOLD OUT show at Rolston Recital Hall on Jan 17th and the Open Studios for the public on Jan 23rd, as well as a 20-minute talk and discussions on Kurdish Music “Sharing Circle” during my residency. 🔥 There are many new music that will be coming out this year some created in the mountains of Banff.

Many thanks to the Banff Centre for Arts And Creativity for giving me this phenomenal opportunity to be an artist resident in the heart of the Banff Natural Park for three weeks. 💚🌺

👉 The painting on the background photo by: Dara Aram

📸: Marina Hasselberg

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Last Friday was a vibrant 🎶musical evening; we were privileged to have fantastic listeners which made another memorable night.💚

Many thanks to Canadian Music Center, for their generous support!!!

📸: Christine Mourre

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We are getting close to our upcoming concert at Toronto's heritage music venue Canadian Music Centre.

Eagerly awaiting to see you on December 6!💚

👉 TICKETS

Jazz Piano Meets Kurdish kamanche

Jazz Pianist Diane Roblin & Kurdish Kamanche player Shahriyar Jamshidi will be crossing musical boundaries with their new collaboration.

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The language student Ahou Daryaei was denied entering Tehran's prestigious Islamic Azad University and her clothes were ripped off by the security at checkpoint; she bravely stripped down to her underclothing in protest against Iranian Mullahs' hijab laws in front of predator hijab guard wolves.

Illustration by Gianluca Costantini

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The October 1st highlighted as "World Kobani Day" we bow down to all freedom fighters who dedicated their lives to liberate Kobanê in Rojava. I especially remind and celebrate the life of the Kurdish singer, teacher and resistance-fighter Viyan Peyman with my piece "Viyan". Peyman lost her life in Kobani in 2015.

Di Roja Cîhanî ya Kobanê de, ji bo bîranîna şervana Kurd Vîyan Peyman ku canê xwe a li Kobanê

feda kir, berhema VÎYAN pêşkêşî we dikim. Bijî berxwedana Kobanê✌🏾🔥

لە رۆژی جیھانی کۆبانێ، بۆ ڕێزلێنان و یاد و بیرەوەری شەرڤانی کورد «ڤیان پەیمان» کە گیانی خۆی لە کۆبانێ بەخت کرد بەرهەمی «ڤیان» پێشکەش دەکەم.✌🏾

👉 Video: Zanyar Omrani

👉 Artwork: Zehra Dogan

👉 watch the full video