An interview with Kiya Tabassian, founder and Setar player with the Montreal-based ensemble Constantinople.

In its performances, this group combines medieval, jewish, arabic and middle eastern music to create an unfortettable sound palate.

Album details…
Catalogue No.: ACD 2594

Naxos releases a new recording on ATMA-Classique by the acclaimed Montréal-based ensemble Constantinople. Ay!! Amor… Songs of Love and Songs of Women is a mosaic of love songs from Persia (modern-day Iran), Armenia, Turkey, Spain, and France and features the renowned Franco-Moroccan singer Françoise Atlan, whose own Judeo-Berber roots impart a deep affinity for Mediterranean singing traditions. She performs with the Persian members of Constantinople – Kiya Tabassian, master setar player; Ziya Tabassian, percussion; and Saeed Kamjoo, kamâncheh (a bowed string instrument).

Ay!! Amor… is the result of a rich ongoing collaboration between Constantinople and Françoise Atlan. Most of the pieces are drawn from Persian, Judeo-Spanish, Iberian, and French trouvère traditions; others are new creations by Constantinople and Ms. Atlan. Ay!! Amor… combines aspects of diverse cultures and musical modes to create a new concert experience that defies easy categorization.

Born in France to a Sephardic Jewish family in 1964 and endowed with a natural vocal talent, Françoise Atlan began to study piano with her mother at the age of six. Her Judeo-Berber roots led her to develop a passion for traditional music, particularly from the Mediterranean Basin. Her work as a singer includes both Arab-Andalusian and Judeo-Arab repertoire. Atlan has performed throughout North America, Japan, Europe, Israel, Africa, and the U.K. and is featured on a critically-acclaimed recording with Constantinople called Terres turquoise.

Founded in 1998 by Teheran-born Kiya Tabassian, Constantinople has earned an international reputation for its unique juxtaposition of medieval music and the living traditions of the Middle East. Called “one of the world’s finer early music ensembles” (The Weekend Planet, ABC), Constantinople has toured Canada, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Holland, France, Cyprus, Lebanon, Greece, and most recently, Mexico. The ensemble has recorded nine CDs for the ATMA label and has performed and with guest artists from around the world, including singers Anne Azema (France), Daniel Taylor (Canada), Ghada Shbeir (Lebanon), and ensemble En Chordais (Greece).