Arash Khalatbari (France)

Date: Saturday, 6th December, 2014
Time: Midnight
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Arash is a versatile and self-taught Iranian artist born in Tehran and moved to Paris in 1984. At 14 he had his first taste of Paris, the city of a thousand sounds and a thousand cultures. His first musical experiments were on the ironwork of his bed or any other object that was potentially musical which rapidly gave way to many different exchanges. From his grandparents’ village on the edge of the Caspian Sea and the sound of gypsy music, and has continued to grow musically thanks to chance meetings with artists from Africa, North Africa and with other experimental electro performers from the European scene. The German avant-garde scene and traditional world music have nourished his musical universe. Percussionist autodidact, Arash Kalatbari, lives off the mix of things. At 14, with his group, Vox Populi, he distilled a mix of ethnicity and released in the 80s 3 LP’s and several compilations with the label VISA.

He participated in the musical creation for Tour de Babel, a theatre group, based on world mythologies. He created in 1994, with Dierdre Dubois and Mehdi Haddab, the tiro Ekova ( signed with the Label SONY in France and SIX/DEGREES/USA), whose subtle electro-world mix found a fan base on the release of their first album, crowned with success from FAIR and the selection of the Ile-de- France region at the Printemps de Bourges. He is at the moment preparing a PhD in Sociology, developing the theme of interactions between individuals and their habitat. The researcher –musician is convinced of the link that unites music and territories, whether it be the urban universe of electro, or the transcendental melodies which cross borders and ages.

In 2011, he shot a documentary with the English documentary director Sogand Bahram on the theme of identity, migration, being Creole and music with Nathalie Natiembé, Dyniel Waro, Lindigo and Jako Maron. The musician admits that his music is brighter and more joyful since he has lived here, in the Indian Ocean. It seems to be the fruit of many years of reflection and mystical experience. It is hypnotic, calming and in its electro-world wayfaring. Isis Island resounds of music from around the world to an electro beat, all the better to see the infinite from the present moment.