The song of the phoenix

The song of the phoenix A musical story about life, death, and rebirth. The story of the phoenix – the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes – forms the heart of Het lied van feniks. With this ancient tale as a starting point, the musicians of the Aavaaz quartet create a poetic and musical journey. Componist Shahab Azinmehr translated the life cycle of the phoenix into music, in which eastern sounds, singing, and improvisation come together. Together with Nathan Daems, Seraphine Stragier, and Farnoosh Khodadadeh, he brings an intense musical story about life, death, and rebirth. The texts and narrations of Farnoosh Khodadadeh and Josse De Pauw give the music an extra narrative layer. The inspiration for this performance comes from The Conference of the Birds, a masterpiece by the twelfth-century Iranian mystic and poet Attar Neishabouri. In this famous story, the phoenix sings its mysterious songs, which simultaneously set all living beings in motion and force them into silence. When the bird feels its end approaching, it builds a pyre around itself. While it sings, it goes up in flames. From the ashes, a new phoenix then rises, a symbol of renewal and hope. Credits Shahab Azinmehr (setar, vocals, composition, arrangements), Nathan Daems (saxophone, vocals), Farnoosh Khodadadeh (daf, vocals, text, translations), Seraphine Stragier (cello, yayli tambur, harp, vocals), Josse De Pauw (text, translations)