Amal Murkus
Divahn
Natacha Atlas
Savina Yannatou
Sheila Chandra
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Azam Ali Azam
was born in Iran but grew up in India from the age of four, absorbing
its music and culture for 11 years. She moved to Los Angeles with her
mother in 1985. Shortly thereafter, Azam began playing the santour
(an instrument similar to hammered dulcimer), studying for five years
with Persian master Manoocher Sadeghi. Her musical endeavors inevitably
led to the re-discovery of her voice. Her singing not only liberated
her creatively, but also connected Azam to her purest form of expression.
She knew she found a way to blend her inherent love of Eastern music
with her growing passion for early music, particularly that of Hildegard
Von Bingen. Her vocal influences range from Indian and Persian singers
Laxmi Shankar, Asha Bhosle, and Sima Bina, to Lebanese singer Marie
Keyrouz and early music singer Emily Van Evera. Her writing style was
naturally influenced by the Persian folk songs, Indian ghazals and
bhajans she heard growing up. Originally composing songs around her
own poetry, lyrics were too confining for Azam. She began singing phonetically,
to use her voice more as an instrument. Simple phrases gradually gave
way to more complex verses, which finally evolved into the intricate
language of expression she uses with VAS.
It was in November 1995, when Greg and Azam happened to meet at a concert of the Master Musicians of Jajouka at UCLA. At a party afterwards, Greg heard Azam sing for the first time. He was galvanized. It was instant recognition. They began creating music together the very next day and VAS was born. Within a year they signed a deal with Narada Records and have since released three CD’s: ‘Sunyata’ in 1997, ‘Offerings’ in 1998, and ‘In the Garden of Souls’ in 2000. |
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