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ONE WAY Recommends [Issue
#22]
Lily Afshar By
Lynne Bronstein
Hemispheres
(CD
Archer)
Lily Afshar is a Guitar Goddess, but instead of wielding an electric axe, she
spins a fine web of music on acoustic guitar. In fact, she’s one of the best
classical guitarists in the world. On Hemispheres, she displays her talent
as she plays compositions mostly based on Persian music traditions (she was born
in Iran). As the liner notes explain, Persian music, like its Indian cousin, raga,
uses a unique modal system, the Dastgah, involving quarter tones, set between
the sharp and flat notes on the chromatic scale. “Gozaar,” by Persian
composer Reza Vali, uses this system and Afshar renders it, musical tightrope
that it is. She also plays a powerful version of guitar maven John Schneider’s
“Prelude” and “Fugue.” On “Morgh-eh-Sahar” (“Bird
of Dawn”) she plays the Persian seh-tar, which looks like a small sitar and
sounds like a dulcimer. The album concludes with “Missionera,” a bristling
Argentine folk tune. Lily Afshar’s playing will amaze and dazzle listeners.
But one doesn’t have to be a guitar geek to enjoy this tour of her musical
world.
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