Qais Essar | Payson, AZ
Syzygy
Audio, 3:53 min. (2020)
This song blends American musical forms such as jazz and hip-hop with Indian classical music, and features sarod master, Alam Khan. It embraces Muslim musical culture, blends sounds and dissolves barriers. The work imagines an America where everyone is able to thrive and live with dignity.
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Qais Essar
“…a master of the rabab…” – NY Daily News
Qais Essar is a contemporary Afghan composer, instrumentalist and producer who channels his melodic designs through the rabab, a 2,500 year old instrument from Afghanistan. He has toured extensively, sharing his new genre of music nationally and internationally. His first LP, The Green Language (2014), quickly became an Amazon #1 bestseller, followed by Tavern of Ruin (2016), and his 3rd album, The Ghost You Love Most (2018) to critical acclaim. He has contributed original music to feature films also. In 2017, Qais was recruited by director Nora Twomey to compose an original song for her Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated film, The Breadwinner (produced by Angelina Jolie). He earned a Canadian Screen Award for “Best Original Song” for his piece The Crown Sleeps. Additionally, he orchestrated a sold-out run of the musical Tear a Root from the Earth at the OBIE award winning Ice Factory at the New Ohio Theater in New York City. Essar continues to be featured in festivals and venues around the world including the Newport Folk Festival, SxSW, The Kennedy Center, Treefort Music Festival and more.