Vivid Soul - Banafsheh Sayyad

Available to Tour 2016-2017
Vivid Soul is a music and dance collaboration between four
artists, each at the forefront of their genre.
Banafsheh, pioneering sacred dancer
Hamed Nikpay, Iranian master vocalist
Pejman Hadadi, virtuoso percussionist
Alfredo Caceres, versatile Flamenco guitarist
Vivid Soul is now touring!
Contact Managing Director Heidi Brewer:
360.903.7071
[email protected]
See live footage of the world premiere of Vivid Soul!
Vivid Soul
Banafsheh Sayyad, Persian dance artist and internationally acclaimed performer
joins famed vocalist, song-writer and instrumentalist Hamed Nikpay, virtuoso
Pejman Hadadi, a revolutionary in the sound of percussion in Persian music, and
sought-after Flamenco guitarist Alfredo Caceres for a collaboration like no other.
This high-powered alliance brings you Vivid Soul: a fresh fusion of contemporary
Persian music and dance, Flamenco and Sufi ritual designed to uplift, renew and
revitalize all the senses with the theme of gradually expanding light, regeneration,
and vividness that symbolize the ever vital nature of the Soul.
Initially commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the world premiere
of Vivid Soul was on March 21, 2015; proclaimed as “magnificent” (YAS
Foundation) and “mesmerizing” (MFA, Boston).
Banafsheh’s high-level of technique and innovative movement vocabulary,
together with Hamed, Pejman and Alfredo, renowned in world music for their
individual ground-breaking artistry, continue to push the boundaries of
collaboration and performance and captivate audiences worldwide.
Biographies
Banafsheh, Dancer and Choreographer
Internationally acclaimed Persian dance artist and
transformational teacher, Banafsheh communicates
mysticism in a passionate yet meditative way, invoking the
ancient roots of dance as devotion, celebration and prayer
while blazing an unique trail in contemporary dance with a
masterly fusion of high level dance technique and spiritual
embodiment. She is one of the few bearers of authentic
Persian dance in the world, an innovator of Sufi dance
previously only performed by men and a pioneer in
contemporary Persian dance. She holds a Masters of Fine
Arts in Dance from UCLA and an MA in Chinese Medicine.
Banafsheh’s healing, Spirit-based technique, Dance of
Oneness®, blends Flamenco, Tai Chi, Modern dance,
Gurdjieff Movements and the sensuous ecstasy of Persian
Dance with the austere rigor of Dervish whirling, "fusing
ancient forms with a postmodern punch" (LA Times). She
teaches worldwide, guiding people to find inner bliss through dance, enabling them to transform
themselves and live the sacred in everyday life. With an MFA in Dance and an MA in Chinese
Medicine, she is dedicated to healing through movement.
Banafsheh's award-winning work has been presented in North America, Europe and Australia.
Her dance film In the Fire of Grace traces Rumi’s journey of the Soul in dance. Based in Los
Angeles, she performs and teaches worldwide.
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Watch Banafsheh
“Banafsheh is one of the greatest sacred dancers I have seen”
Deepak Chopra
“Part whirling dervish, part flamenco femme fatale, sensuous and
audacious, Banafsheh’s dance is a mesmerizing foray into the
body as trance mechanism; a DNA strand, supple, fluid and
noble, come to life.”
Los Angeles Times
"The perfect way to open ritual aspects of Persian dance to a
wider audience while preserving the sense of participating in
something sacred.”
LA Weekly
Hamed Nikpay, Vocalist, Setar
At the forefront of experimental music, Hamed Nikpay’s
passion for his innovative genre is embedded in his solid
knowledge of fundamentals of Persian music, his ability to
perform numerous Persian instruments masterfully, and his
incisive interpretation and selection of Persian poetry for his
songs. These artistic proclivities have enabled him to create
musical paragons, which are gripping and much admired by
enthusiasts of Persian and world music alike.
He learned to sing at a very young age, studying under the
tutorship of some of the Masters of classical Persian music.
His love of Persian Music motivated him to learn and play
many musical instruments revered in the Persian culture -- Tar
& Setar, Tanbour, Oud, and Daf, which he plays expertly and
soulfully. He has recorded two albums in Iran, performing as a
fusion vocalist, and has produced two albums” Solo Passage”,
and “All Is Calm” in US.
Hamed has performed in numerous concerts before enthusiastic audiences throughout Iran, Asia,
Europe and U.S. His mesmerizing voice has earned him the reputation of being 'One of Iran's Best
Young Vocalists' among both American and Iranian audiences. He was one of the first and few
artists who showed his solidarity with the Iranian men and women who have put their lives in the
harms way for freedom and democracy. The song entitled “The Owner of this Land—Maaleke een
Khaak” written and performed by him for this occasion, has received much popularity for its
originality and its soulful rendition. Hamed is based in LA.
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Listen to Hamed and Alfredo
Pejman Hadadi, Percussion
Considered one of the most innovative Iranian
percussionists, Pejman is a two-time recipient of
the prestigious Durfee Foundation Master
Musician Award. The pioneer of some of the most
original sounds on the Tombak, he has performed
worldwide.
Pejman has been a member of the DASTAN
Ensemble, the highly celebrated and “mostforward looking Persian music ensemble” (LA
Weekly) for more than ten years. He has recorded
countless critically acclaimed pioneering works
with DASTAN, and continues to perform with the ensemble in some of the world’s most noted
concert halls.
In the year 2000, along with Behnam Samani, Reza Samani, Hakim Ludin, Javid Afsari Rad and
Morshed Mehregan he revolutionized the first Iranian percussion ensemble, ZARBANG with whom
he has performed extensively in major international festivals and prestigious concert halls in
Europe, North America and Hong Kong. His ground-breaking recordings with this ensemble include
Rengineh, Middle Eastern and World Percussion and Call to Love. Banafsheh and ZARBANG’s
collaborations have been called ““Entertaining and revolutionary, both” (Vancouver Sun).
Concurrent with his activities with Dastan Ensemble and ZARBANG, Pejman began performing
and recording with a variety of musicians, both Iranian and from other cultures. The impressive list
of these musicians include Hossein Alizadeh, Shahram Nazeri, Homayoun Shajarian, Kayhon
Kalhor, Parissa, Shujaat Khan, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Hossein Omoumi, Sima Bina, Salar Aghili, Ali
Akbar Moradi, Hafez Nazeri, Ardeshir Kamkar, Matthaious Tsahourides, Nejati Celik, Halil
Karadoumon, Yair Dalal, Imamyar Hasanov, Rajeeb Chakraborti, Adam Rudolph, Brad Dutz, Gregg
Ellis and Yuval Ron among others.
Pejman has also been active in film music. His recordings include Prince of Egypt and Prince of
Persia. He was commissioned by the Los Angeles Master Choral and performed at Disney Hall
with the Choral in 2007. Pejman is based in Los Angeles.
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Watch Pejman
“Pejman Hadadi is the finest Iranian
percussionist in America.”
Rhythm Magazine
Alfredo Cáceres, Guitar
Born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala,
Cáceres, a complete guitarist and composer, has
been involved in a wide variety of projects and
bands in styles ranging from World music,
Flamenco, Jazz, Brazilian, Salsa, Pop and Latin.
He has collaborated on several recordings in local
and international productions, as well as in
different festivals in the United States and in
Europe. Alfredo has been living in the United
States since 2009 and has played alongside many
different artists in the World Music arena such as
Persian singer Hamed Nikpay, guitarist Russ
Hewitt, the Gypsy All Stars (of the Gipsy Kings family), Mario Reyes, and Marcus Nand (Ziroq), just
to name a few.
In 2012, Cáceres released his first solo album in the U.S., one that involves a variety of his original
compositions within the last ten years, recorded in his hometown of Guatemala and in Los
Angeles, California.
Alfredo’s musical education started in this homeland of Guatemala with his first teacher, his father,
Alfredo Cáceres Sr. He would later continue to study with different guitarists such as with spanish
guitarist Paco Galiano in flamenco and with German Giordano in jazz. He also learned sight
reading with William Orbaugh, as well as with drummers Byron Campo and Fernando Martin at the
Poliritmos Academy.
Alfredo traveled to Seville, Spain on a three year scholarship from the Fundación Cristina Heeren
de Arte Flamenco. While there, he trained extensively under different well known Flamenco
guitarists such as Miguel Ángel Cortés, Niño de Pura, Eduardo Rebollar, Paco Serrano, Paco
Cortés, Juan Manuel Canizares, Manolo Sanlúcar, and Rafael Canizares, among others. At the
Fundación, he received instruction for two years in flamenco compás (Flamenco rhythms) from
Paco de Lucía’s dancer & cajón player, the late Manolo Soler.
After being in Spain, Cáceres attended the U.S. at Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas on a two
year scholarship, giving him the opportunity to play jazz guitar and go on tour in the U.S. and in
Mexico with the award-winning Brookhaven Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In Brookhaven College, he
pursued jazz guitar with guitarist Paul Metzger. Subsequently, Alfredo came to live in California
where he occasionally studies with world renowned guitarist Jorge Strunz from the guitar duet
Strunz & Farah.
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Listen to Alfredo
Praise for Vivid Soul
“Banafsheh’s performance of Vivid Soul at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on
Saturday, March 21, 2015 was nothing short of mesmerizing! Over 600 visitors
filled our Remis Auditorium between two performances, part of the MFA’s annual
Nowruz Celebration. Even from the last row in the auditorium, Banafsheh’s
incredible skill, her poise, and her passion were abundantly clear. She
successfully commanded and engaged her audiences and her ability to fill the
stage with her presence and fluid movements was truly wonderful.”
Jennifer Leclerc
Community Events Manager, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
“Magnificent!”
Rouzbeh Yassini
Presenter of Nowruz Celebration at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Outreach
The artists of Vivid Soul are committed to providing dynamic education opportunities
worldwide. As highly sought-after teachers and educators, they bring diverse
backgrounds, years of experience and training and a breadth of knowledge that richly
informs the techniques they have to offer.
Vivid Soul is available for educational programs in various formats, including but not
limited to:
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Dance and Music Workshops
Residencies
Masterclasses
Lecture-Demonstrations
Pre- and Post-Performance Q&A
Vivid Soul is a great fit for collaborations between Dance, Music and Near Eastern
Studies Departments in any educational setting.
Vivid Soul offers a ride range of topics for outreach and education programs, such as:
• Persian Dance and Music
• Dance and Music in Sufi Mysticism
• Performing Arts in Contemporary Iran
Contact [email protected] to inquire about bringing Vivid Soul educational
opportunities to you!