composer Davood A. Tabrizi

(cast) Afghan Musicians Toofan Toghyani Sepehr Toghyani Shahin Torabi Saman Ebrahimi Saeed Malakan

Music Mixed at Trackdown Digital Pty Ltd Music Recording and Mix Engineer Tim Ryan Music Mixed by Davood A. Tabrizi Music Recording Assistants Damian Candusso Scott Ryan Music Recording Co-Ordinator Mike Duffy Singers Bahar Davood A. Tabrizi Parviz Amiri Hasib Delnawaz

Piano, Violin, , Dotar, Karnay, , Keyboards Davood A. Tabrizi May, , Kim Sanders Baglama, Yayli , Sabahattin Akdagcik Harmonium, Robab Sayd Sarshar Tabla Yama Sarshar

"Sempre Libera" from La Traviata Composed by Giuseppe Verdi Performed by Nellie Melba Orchestra Conducted by Landon Ronald Recorded in London 1904-1921

Bach Minuette in G Minor Played by David Stanhope

Silent Night Played by David Stanhope Singer Stephen Sheehan

Ding Dong Merrily On High Singer Stephen Sheehan and "The Chatties” Chatswood Public School Choir Master - Kerry Murphy The producer wishes to thank Emi (sic) Music

CD:

A CD of the soundtrack was released: CD Move Records, Australia Move MD 3237 2001 Includes: Bonus two minute theatrical trailer in quicktime format (Mac and PC). THE MUSICIANS: Bahar: Main Vocal Parviz Amiri: Vocals Hasib Delnavaz: Vocals Akdagcik Sabahattin: Yalli Tanbur, Baglama, Oud Kim Sanders: Mey, Ney, Keval Yama Sarshar: Tabla Sayd Sarshar: Harmonium Davood A. Tabrizi: Vocals, Persian Daf, Piano, Dayereh, Tibetan Karney, Bolivian Flute, Violin, Percussion, Keyboards Soundtrack recorded and mixed at Trackdown Digital Pty. Ltd, Camperdown. NSW. Producer: Davood A. Tabrizi Engineer and editor: Tim Ryan Mixing: Tim Ryan and Davood A. Tabrizi Assistant engineer: Scott Ryan Keyboards and synthesiser recorded and programmed at Because Yes Studio, Sydney Engineer: Matthew Hughes 1. Peydayesh Encounter (3’50”) 2. Conception (2’57”) 3. Mother (1’07”) 4. Jila's Baptism (0’51”) 5. Kooch Journey (1’18”) 6. Rainman's Death (1’39”) 7. Shir Lion (3’10”) 8. Eid-E-Fetr Feast of Fetr (1’54”) 9. A Lover in Sin (0’27”) 10.To Whatever Measure...... (2’11”) 11. Henna (2’09”) 12. Raaz Mystery (2’19”) 13. Attan Dance (0’59”) 14. Matrimony to Mourn (2’24”) 15. Matrimony to Escape (1’52”) 16. Jila's Escape (2’22”) 17. To Dream (1’03”) 18. Water Soil and Fire (8’12”) 19. Serenades (4’12”) 20. Neeyayesh Prayer (8’52”)

CD Review:

Brad Green wrote a review of the soundtrack for Urban Cinefile, published 21st June 2001, available here, backed up to the Wayback Machine here:

A squiz at the CD booklet and the omens look good. Firstly, there’s a note by director Majgan Khadem explaining that the film itself was inspired by a piece of music (ok we don’t actually get that piece of music on this soundtrack, but it establishes a specific direction and we know the intention was always for this music to be more than an adjunct to images). Secondly, we are informed that composer Davood A. Tabrizi is trained in both Western Classical and Persian Classical music which is a double-side better than the all too regular pop compilation soundtracks comprising the ditties of songwriters trained in universal banality. Thirdly, Tabrizi plays many of the instruments himself as well as having that genuine Eastern background so the score is unlikely to be one of those trumped-up, heavily sequenced and sampled imitations of an ethnic style. Fourth, many of the instruments played by both Tabrizi and his musical collaborators have unfamiliar, exotic names full of potential—you just know a Baglama, or a YalliTanbur, or a Tibetan Karney has to sound delicious even if you’ve never heard (or heard of) one before. Finally, there are twenty tracks and a bonus trailer so there should be plenty of Baglama for our bucks.

Unfortunately, upon folding the booklet and inserting the CD, the theories start to unravel. Which isn’t to say there isn’t a little truth in all of the above. Certainly there is mood here. Certainly some of the swaying tremolo vocals from the likes of Bahar are impressive. Certainly the various exotic string instruments are performed with engaging graces and dynamics. Certainly there is the occasional ruffle of spirited percussion.

But most certainly it could do without all being glued together by incessantly tedious synth pads, and it could do with a lot more thematic definition. Or if the intention is to avoid melodic hooks, then the arrangements could have done with a lot more orchestral clout.

Interestingly, the most alluring cue features the good old piano. Haaz conjures up a spellbinding melody of ivory and ebony that mainly serves to demonstrate what might have been.

As for the trailer, it looks inviting (I haven’t seen the film), but it could do without the cringe-worthy melodrama of the voiceover.

A richly atmospheric soundtrack to be sure, but it had a tendency to serenade me to sleep.

Composer Davood A. Tabrizi:

Davood A. Tabrizi wrote the music for Ward’s The Navigator and the CD for that film’s soundtrack had this note on his career:

Tabrizi is presented on the Move label, currently on line here, with these details for the Russian-born, Iranian-trained composer provided: Davood A. Tabrizi is an accomplished composer and performer from . Trained in Western Classical and Persian Classical music, he has written music extensively in Australia, Iran, Canada and USA for film, theatre, television, radio and special events.

Davood has established a reputation as being an innovative, multi-talented and diverse composer, producer and performer. He has won several awards for films including an Australian and New Zealand Film and Television Award for his score for The Navigator (dir. Vincent Ward) in 1988, while his score for Clara Law's Floating Life (1996) won the Golden Horse Award at the 1997 Taiwan Film Festival, as well as the Asian and Pacific Film Festival Award 1997.

His other film credits include Business Behind the Bars (2000), Cinema, Cinema (1996), Resistance (1991),For All The World To See (1991), Australia Daze (1988), The Surfer (1986), Rocking the Foundations (1984), Hostage (1983) and Sleeping Lion (1977).

His work was also represented on a Facebook page (link no longer working) in relation to a Sydney Festival performance:

Davood A. Tabrizi – A multi-award winning composer, one of the most exciting and innovative performers on the world music scene today – brings together a dynamic collaboration between culturally diverse artists to present this musical celebration of Persian & Spanish flamenco fusion. He also performs with his band ‘The Far Seas’, with some amazing special performers. Trained in Western and Persian Classical music, Davood has written, recorded and performed music throughout Australia, Iran, Canada and USA. He has been a pioneer of world fusion music on the Australian scene since 1980.

Tabrizi came to Australia after the Iranian hostage crisis. A number of his works can be found on YouTube by googling his name, while there are many other references to work by him and his band The Far Sea, ranging from Music Viva to world music sites. In terms of film music, he is perhaps best known for composing the score to Vincent Ward's The Navigator.

(Below Davood Tabrizi) (Below: Tabrizi winning an award for his music for Vincent Ward's The Navigator - presumably the New Zealand Film and Television award for best film score, though the awards aren’t identified on the YouTube video showreel)

(Below: Tabrizi and his band) Music in the film:

There is a fair degree of music in the film, culturally appropriate and often associated with ceremonial moments in the Afghan community, as well as the German classical tradition. The film opens with a piano being delivered by camel, and the piano becomes a motif for Johann, with Mr Becker offering a Christmas carol in German. At the same time, a harmonica is used as a symbolic exchange between Johann and an Afghan boy. The older Johann also brings a record player back with him from Germany and plays Dame Nellie Melba to the Afghan family. This enchants Shir’s wife, but after a little early mystification about the machine, Shir notes that women shouldn’t sing.

These are a few illustrations of such moments in the film in the order they appear (for larger pictures, see this site’s galleries):