Farhad Besharati - Zenith (2008)

Farhad Besharati is a Persian Kanun player who fuses traditional Persian music with contemporary flair. A Kanun is Persian instrument that looks very much like an autoharp, often used in Appalachian folk music, but sounds more like a cross between a mandolin and the Greek balalaika, with 78 strings and 30 notes.
Farhad has had an interesting musical journey. Originally from Tehran, where he was first exposed to the Kanun, he was forced to flee Iran after the Islamic revolution forbade him to pursue his music.
Reflections and Blue Love and Bird and Rain and latest one is Zenith. Farhad’s debut recording on Planet Beat International, and Clatex Records And MZM records are all-instrumental, showcasing his virtuosity on the rare and difficult Kanun. The albums features some original compositions, and each song has an ethereal, ephemeral air to them, which is at once relaxing and engaging. The songs are accompanied tastefully by very famous life musicions . The albums are very exotic sounding, and will appeal greatly to fans of both World Music and New Age.