More than just the debut album from a gifted young storyteller, Ariana Delawari's "Lion of Panjshir" is a psychedelic folk journey with a very interesting story behind it. Recorded in both Kabul and Los Angeles, Delawari's own guitar, piano and vocal melodies are soaked in classical Afghan rhythms and echoes of Laurel Canyon Rock & Roll. Delawari's choice to record "Lion of Panjshir" in Afghanistan came with a phone call in February 2007: "It was my mother from Kabul telling me that the Taliban was starting to gain power again," she says. The call signaled what might be a last opportunity for her: "At this particular moment I had the feeling that things were shifting-that I may never have the chance to record there again."
Three months later her and bandmates Max Guirand and Paloma Udovic found themselves at her parents house in Kabul. Under the protection of two guards (with AK 47s), they recorded the album right in the Delawari household. They collaborated with three Afghan Ustads: a tabla player, a rabab player, and an 88-year-old dilruba player, the last living master of this instrument. Under previous Taliban rule these talented musicians had once dismantled and hid their instruments due to a ban on music. Delawari and her band spent several days rehearsing and recording with them. The album was then finished in Los Angeles, featuring additional guest musicians and mixed by David Lynch. The album also includes one song "Suspend Me" produced by Lynch himself. She's also currently co-directing a documentary about her family's involvement in Afghanistan, and the making of her album there with Emily Stofle Lynch.
Release Date: October 13th, 2009
Label: David Lynch Mc / Manimal Vinyl
File Under: psychedelic folk spanning Afghanistan to LA
Three months later her and bandmates Max Guirand and Paloma Udovic found themselves at her parents house in Kabul. Under the protection of two guards (with AK 47s), they recorded the album right in the Delawari household. They collaborated with three Afghan Ustads: a tabla player, a rabab player, and an 88-year-old dilruba player, the last living master of this instrument. Under previous Taliban rule these talented musicians had once dismantled and hid their instruments due to a ban on music. Delawari and her band spent several days rehearsing and recording with them. The album was then finished in Los Angeles, featuring additional guest musicians and mixed by David Lynch. The album also includes one song "Suspend Me" produced by Lynch himself. She's also currently co-directing a documentary about her family's involvement in Afghanistan, and the making of her album there with Emily Stofle Lynch.
Release Date: October 13th, 2009
Label: David Lynch Mc / Manimal Vinyl
File Under: psychedelic folk spanning Afghanistan to LA
