The Siwan Project

In this episode we find out more about Pedram Khavarzamini's career, what makes the tombak special and how he found the orchestra.We are currently taking a short break from releasing episodes, but will be back soon with more! Thank you for listening.

In this episode Pedram Khavarzamini, who plays the Tombak in Siwan, speaks about what it was like growing up in Iran and learning to play his instrument illegally.

In this episode we meet violinist Bjarte Eike. He is the artistic director of Barokksolistene, the string group who are part of Siwan.

In this episode we meet Derya Türkan, who plays the kemenche in Siwan.

In this episode we meet one of the percussionists in Siwan, Helge Andreas Norbakken.

In this episode we’re exploring the lives of Princess Wallada and Ibn Zaydun. Some of their poetry is featured in Hafla, Siwan’s third studio album. We’re joined again by Professor Raymond Farrin, Dr Fitzroy Morissey and Professor Amira Bennison to learn more about this pair who produced such captivating and rich poetry marveled at nearly a thousand years later.This series was narrated and produced by Emily Naylor.

In this episode we explore the life and work of the polymath Ibn Hazm, born in 994 AD. His poetry is featured in Siwan’s third studio album, Hafla. We’re joined by Professor Raymond Farrin from the American University of Kuwait. The poetry is voiced by Phoebe McIndoe and Julian Gonzalez Ferro.This series was narrated and produced by Emily Naylor.

In this episode we’ll learn all about the importance of poetry in al-Andalus. We hear from historian Dr Amira Bennison, Professor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, Professor Raymond Farrin, Professor of Arabic from the American University of Kuwait and Dr Fitzroy Morissey, a fellow at All Souls College at the University of Oxford.This series was narrated and produced by Emily Naylor.

In this second part of the History episode, we’ll hear more about the life and culture of Al-Andalus. We’ll find out why this is sometimes known as a “Golden Age” as well as what we know of its day to day reality. We hear again from historian Dr Amira Bennison, Professor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge and archaeologist Dr José Cristobal Carvajal López, lecturer at the University of Leicester.This series was narrated and produced by Emily Naylor.