ROYA builds bridges. Between yesterday and today, between traditional music and pop, between Jews and Muslims, between Israel and its archenemy Iran. Liraz Charhi’s parents, Sephardic Jews, emigrated from Iran to Israel, and the actress and singer uses this legacy in her music.
A track like “Junoonyani” flutters like a K-pop tune, but counters that with oriental-tinged harmonies from Persian dance music. Dramatic ballads like “Tanha” follow airy summer pop like “Mimiram”, Led Zeppelin would have their psychedelic joy in “Bishtar Behand”, the shimmering title song is particularly convincing in its dramatic “Female Version”.
But Liraz, who only sings Farsi here, not only connects the antipodes musically with her third album, but also in a very practical way: the tar, the Iranian lute, and the stringed instruments are played by Iranian musicians who have to remain anonymous because they are made illegally traveled to Tehran for the recordings in Israel.
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