Mambo, Memories & More (Remastered 2020)

In his song cycle "Songs of a Wandering Soul," Toronto-based composer and pianist Saman Shahi explores his musical identity rooted in his Western Classical training, minimalism, Contemporary Art music, Progressive Rock and Iranian traditional music.  The music leaps back and forth between these worlds much like an immigrant trying to figure out a new place to belong.  The poetry used in this cycle is drawn from Shahi's teenage years where he was trying to navigate his new life in Canada with words in the early days of blogging. The third movement, "Mirrors Never Lie" draws from both minimalism, and the idea of shifting meters in Jazz. The work displaces the pulse constantly to create an inner sense of groove that changes from measure to measure.  This project was made possible through support from the Canada Council for the Arts.