ABOUT PADIK
Padik - "jingle" in Balochi - is the sound of chiming anklets that women in Balochistan put on when they want to be especially enticing. The culture of Balochistan-a region spanning southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan-is distinguished, in part, by its poignant music that resonates with people far beyond its borders. Lead singer Rostam Mirlashari and multi-instrumentalist Abdul Rahman Surizahi, both from Balochistan; live in exile in Scandinavia where they take an open-minded and playful approach to music, always creating new opportunities for exchange and interaction with other musicians and traditions. Together with Norwegian Hardanger fiddle player Anne Hytta from Norway they form the trio Padik. Padik specializes in Balochi music with a fresh Nordic infusion always performing with deep passion-its effect: transcendent. The group has played for the BBC in London as well as in numerous venues throughout Europe.
Abdul Rahman Surizahi
Abdul Rahman Surizahi is without dispute the grand maestro of the benjo, a type of cittra from Balochistan. He regularly tours all over the world performing as a soloist as well as a member of various groups. Considered a living legend among music lovers of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of India, he has also been rewarded with the prestigious German "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik award" and the Norwegian Folk Music prize. Surizahi has been praised by various grand masters of Iranian music like M.R. Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Hossein Alizadeh among others. Recordings in which he has participated include editions on the Occora label, Golbang; The Sacred Music of Balochistan, and numerous folk music recordings in the Balochi world.
Anne Hytta
The Hardanger fiddle is a traditional Norwegian folk instrument with more strings than a traditional violin. Its "sympathetic" strings create a haunting sound that has contributed a special flavor to the Norwegian folk music repertoire. Anne Hytta is a soloist as well as a member of various ensembles, such as the trio Slagr and British-based SYM. During the past few years, she has studied Balochi music with Abdulrahman Surizehi with whom she has performed in numerous concerts. The sympathetic strings of the Hardanger fiddle is a feature shared with the Balochi Soroud. When its sound is woven into Balochi music, unlike "cross-over", the resulting sound is traditional Balochi with a delightful, slightly exotic twist.
Rostam Mirlashari
Padik's lead singer, Rostam Mirlashari, sings traditional and modern music from Baluchistan, Iran. He has mastered many different singing techniques adding a shimmering depth to Padik's sound. Mirlashari also founded and sings with the highly successful world music group Golbang, which has published four acclaimed albums to date. According to music critic Martin Nyström of Dagens Nyheter (Sweden's most widely read morning newspaper), Mirlashari "must have one of Sweden's most beautiful and seductive voices". He has appeared several times on Voice of America, BBC as well as on Swedish national television and radio.