BROOKLYN MAQAM Presents: TAN HAW

Brooklyn Maqam is an organization dedicated to presenting Middle Eastern (in particular, Arabic) music, with the goals of expanding its audience, preserving it as an art form, and building community centered around the music.

An ensemble of 1+, Tan Haw is a project by Iranian musician and songwriter, Mani Nilchiani and collaborators. Tan Haw blends Iranian folk and classical music with influences from a variety of contemporary genres such as ambient, electronica & psychedelic rock.

Tan Haw’s sound is deeply rooted in the microtonal repertoire of Iranian music (Radif), and borrows from its rich traditional lineage of Improvisation techniques, modal structures, melodic and rhythmic patterns. In orchestration, the Persian Setâr and vocals often take center stage, supported by fretless guitars, synthesizers, samples and live instruments.

About Mani: Mani Nilchiani is an Iranian musician and designer based in NYC. In his music, he retraces, explores and retells a story of displacement. His music explores the notion of home as an evolving in-transit space of memory. Born and raised in Tehran, Mani began his studies at a young age with classical violin under maestro Valodia Tarkhanian. Later, he worked in Tehran’s underground music scene as a self-taught guitarist and singer. In 2010 he moved to NYC and in 2013, he graduated from Parsons school of Design with an MFA in Design & Technology. He formed Tan Haw in late 2017 and began releasing music and playing live shows. In 2018 he joined Radif Retreat institute for Iranian classical music where he has been studying the Setâr and working as a teaching assistant with maestro Fared Shafinury.
Photo by Saman Shami