About
If folk music tells the stories of people’s lives, what is the story of our everyday life now from a distant homeland like Iran to a new home in Toronto? What happens to these songs when they move across borders, languages and cultures? How do they change, and what new meanings do they gather along the way?
This performance explores Persian folk songs from across Iran and reimagines them through improvisation and collective musical exploration. Folk music in Iran has always been closely tied to everyday life. These songs carry the voices of different regions, stories of love, war, longing, migration, celebration and the deep relationship people have with their land.
Originally from Tehran and now based in Toronto, vocalist Neda Mohamadpour approaches these songs as living stories that continue to travel with the people who carry them. Throughout the performance, folk songs from different regions of Iran appear and reappear. The music reflects the journey of the songs themselves — travelling through time, geography and memory.
About Neda Mohamadpour
Featuring Neda Mohamadpour (vocals), Chris Pruden (piano), Caleb Klager (bass) and Mack Longpre (drums), the band places Persian folk sensibilities in conversation with jazz, improvisation and experimental sound. Their music moves through the microtonal colors of Iranian melodies, folk storytelling and rhythmic freedom.
Mohamadpour is a vocalist deeply rooted in Persian folk traditions, blending them with global influences to create a sound that is both contemporary and ancestral. Originally from Tehran, she trained in Persian traditional maqam music under renowned vocalists Simin Ghanem and Malihe Moradi. Her singing embraces improvisation, microtonal nuance and profound emotional expression, forming a vivid bridge between past and present.
Committed to reimagining Persian musical heritage, Mohamadpour has collaborated with a wide range of artists from experimental electronic ensembles such as Dastgâmachine to international voices like Emel Mathlouthi. Her debut album, Where the Rain Is Stored explores jazz, improvisation and psychedelic interpretations of Persian folk themes. Her vinyl releases on Local Dish Records is part of an ongoing project creating limited-edition vinyl releases that connect her musical practice to the sounds, memories and cultural textures of her home city, Tehran. Her performances have been featured at major Toronto venues including Tranzac, Harbourfront Centre, TD MusicHall, Meridian Arts Centre and the Aga Khan Museum. Alongside her artistic practice, Mohamadpour co-leads the Small World Music Incubator program, where she supports emerging and newcomer musicians like herself in developing their careers in Canada.
Set List
- To Bio
- Dast Be Dastmalom Nazan
- Dey Balal
- Aziz jun
- Mastom Mastom
Dates & Times
Tickets
No tickets required
Venue
479 Queens Quay West,
Toronto, ON