Digital booklet: https://issuu.com/farnazohadi/docs/bird_dance_-_the_digital_booklet “Bird Dance” A Persian-Flamenco Debut Album recorded entirely in 432 Htz. --------------------------------------------------> At 42, Vancouver based Persian Flamenco singer Farnaz Ohadi is releasing her debut album - a culmination of her turbulent life experience from Iran to North America and a riveting message of resilience and empowerment for women. A central, respected figure in the Vancouver flamenco scene she now translates her life story through a blend of Flamenco rhythm and musicality, and Persian poetry. Her distinctive voice has been described as a blend between the tones of the late Cesaria Evora and melodic power play of La Paquera de Jerez. In collaboration with world renowned flamenco guitarist Liron Man (Pr. lee-RON mun) as her Musical Director/Composer, the two of them spent 2015 producing “Bird Dance” a debut album that features an intoxicating blend of rhythms and world instrumentation from both Flamenco and Persian traditions, combined with deep, soul-drenched vocals and lyrics that recount Farnaz’s life story in song. The opening number, the title track, conveys the repression of women artists in Iran and features lyrics that build on the metaphor of the caged bird yearning to sing. From here, the album takes the listener through a story arc, a journey of spiritual conflict and resolution, unimaginable revelations of relocating to a foreign land, the hope needed to move forward, and the joy in building a new life while looking back with pride. Farnaz sings with defiance and passion as she declares her love for her cultural roots and her intentions to dignify it, in the only way she knows how: through music. The featured artists include Musical Director/Composer and flamenco guitarist Liron Man (Isreal), renowned percussionist Davide Sampaolo (Italy), Flamenco bassist Josué Ronkio (Spain), Kamanche master Mark Eliyahu (Isreal), Santour player Sadaf Amini (Toronto), and Vancouverite stars Ali Razmi on tar, setar and backup vocals, and Hamin Honari on tombak and daf. With the release of Bird Dance, Farnaz is realizing an artistic vision several decades in the making – a journey that has taken her from loneliness, isolation and spiritual questioning to joy, empowerment, authenticity and sisterhood. She is finally free to sing. The story arc of the Album -------------------------------------> The journey begins with “Bird Dance” when the bird of far away land is called to sing but is not able to due to constrains put on her but she needs to sing anyway – dedicated to all women of Iran who are not able to raise their voices in songs in public. The journey continues with “Sharab” where the art becomes a vehicle to discovering ones truth, to find joy in the moment, in the pleasure of song and not worry about regrets of yesterday and anxieties of tomorrow. Once that truth has been found it is worth treasuring. In “Hesar” the singer is plagued by anxiety and depression from the start of her journey, the feeling of being trapped by constrains of a new language, and new culture and the confusion about the new identity. It speaks to the turmoil that all new immigrants experience. But these constrains are not by choice. The words are trapped inside and the wall surrounding the artist feels insurmountable and suffocating. In “star” the journey moves the artist slowly outside of herself, realizing that her ego and her earthly troubles and constrains are insignificant in comparison to the universe and divine love. She starts to look beyond herself for answers and for a guide. The song is about the search for spritiual answers. In “Haj” the artists embarks on the journey of self discovery – The first part (Solea) of the song is about the search and the journey for finding the purpose of self, of obsessive love and quest for ones truth. The second part (Solea por Bulerias) is about finding that purpose and slowly coming to terms with its consequences and beginning to embrace them. Then the final segment (Bulerias) is understanding that once that truth is found and the cup of being is filled with it, then nothing can break it and destroy it and it doesn’t even need as much protection and care because it is not breakable. Once the truth is discovered and finds its home in one’s heart it no longer is vulnerable. In “Vatan”, once the artist has found her footing and a path that feels right, now she can look back at where she has come from, her homeland that has made her into who she is. Now that she has been blessed with the gift of music and her art she now acknowledges the responsibility. She hopes to give voice to other Iranian female singers, by singing about the journey she took and others can take too. In “Persian dance”, the final leg of the journey, the artist calls to the dancer to get up, let loose his/her hair and knock on every door; to call on others to join in the joyful dance of life. The artist offers her instrument, her voice as the vehicle that may carry the dancer in her journey.