Better than vitamin D

BaranBand are a world music band from Helsinki, led by the Kurdish-speaking Majidi brothers from Iran: Gian is the vocalist, and Marouf is a virtuoso on the stringed instrument called the tar. Having travelled all around the world, they have distilled their experiences and musical influences into a titillating album that will knock your socks off!

Emotions run high and are freely on display, from deep anxiety to the awakening of spring – and expression is no problem when there is a voice like this on hand, with an admirable flexibility up to and including classical singing, backed up by a band that is up to the challenge and sincerely engaged.

The captivating music of the Majidi brothers is ably given voice by Simo Kärki on bass, Lotta-Maria Pitkänen on violin, Ricardo Padilla on percussion and Esko Grundström on accordion, keyboards and guitars. Each of the eight tracks on the album is a world of its own, yet they all go together well. The groove and the sound are just right; the Arab jazz on the violin is particularly pleasing, and a wide selection of percussion lends exquisite flavour to the soulful pieces.

Here is a disc to brighten up your rainy autumn days!

Translation: Jaakko Mäntyjärvi