Music of the Roses: Peiman Pourshakibaei (from Iran) + Kawol SamarQandi @ CAFE ETHICA

Peiman Pourshakibaei / Persian tar, singing
Kawol SamarQandi / guitar, voice

Through the tar—a stringed instrument that captures the essence of classical music through its resonance—and through his singing, which carries on a highly refined vocal tradition, Payman Pour-Shikibai, who came to Japan from his homeland to present us the rare beauty of historic Iranian music, imbued with a gentle depth, and Kawol SamarQandi, who brings with him only his own stateless “poor music,” which is becoming increasingly estranged.
What kind of story will emerge from this rare musical dialogue between two individuals who each live and breathe music?


biography : 

Peiman Pourshakibaei /
An Iranian musicologist, composer, singer, tar and setar player, poet, and writer.
Born in Tehran in 1971, he spent his childhood and youth in a family environment that cherished poetry and music.
His grandfather was a poet, and his parents were writers and radio announcers.
As he grew older, he studied Iranian classical music and performance techniques under renowned masters such as Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Mohsen Karamati, Mohammad Nouri, Alireza Feiz Bashipour,
and Alireza Shafaghinjad, and has continued to walk the path of sincere artistry to this day.
He has also been involved in music education for over 25 years, instructing many students. From among them, numerous outstanding musicians have emerged.
Furthermore, he is actively engaged in the fields of Iranian music research, classical literature, and children’s literature, having published over 100 works, including poetry collections, story collections, music albums, and audiobooks.
His representative works include the music album “Derakht-e Bakht (The Tree of Destiny),”
the audio version of “Shahnameh” titled “Avaye Namavarnameh,”
and the music-related book “Az Rud-e Khoshk Ta Bang-e Tar.”
In the field of classical literature, works such as “Dar Pey-e Ostad” and “Dastanhaye Darabgerd,” as well as the poetry collection “Cheshm-e Zagros Geryan,” have been highly acclaimed by readers and audiences.
He is currently a member of the Iranian Musicians’ Association (Khaneh-ye Musiqi), the PEN Club, and the Association of Children’s and Youth Book Writers.
He is married to Mina Amini, a former student of his and an artist in her own right.

Kawol SamarQandi /
The first “music” I ever heard was a wave of static coming through a shortwave radio.
I began writing poetry at age 6, playing guitar and singing at 12, and composing at 14. I started performing in my late teens. Before I knew it, I had landed in Tunisia in 1989 under the pretext of “studying classical Arabic music and the oud,” and ended up spending about a year traveling and studying around the Mediterranean. Amid various encounters there, he performed at stadiums, theater concerts, and on state-run TV programs.
After returning to Japan, under a pseudonym, he participated in numerous commercial projects with many artists in studios, at broadcasting stations, and on tours as a guitarist, arranger, composer, lyricist, and vocalist; he also composed soundtracks for documentaries and feature films.
In 1997, he launched the independent craft label PLAKA for EARDRUM as a vehicle for his work. Entering the 21st century, he moved away from commercial music to devote himself to creating “poor” music born from improvisation using only his halting guitar and a voice like a monologue.
Since then, he has actively organized solo concert series, formed the duo REFUGEES with his partner and synthesizer player Mary Meacha, and collaborated with up-and-coming musicians both domestically and internationally—sometimes online and sometimes in person. He has released numerous LPs, CDs, and digital albums as a solo artist and in the duo, through labels in various countries as well as his own independent label.
In recent years, he has been shifting the focus of his activities overseas, to places like the UAE and Greece. In December 2025, he will release his latest solo LP, “energeia,” recorded in the UAE, on Australia’s Ramble Records. Then, in July 2026, he travels to Wellington, New Zealand, for a concert tour.