The Road to Azadi.Libertad with Farnaz Ohadi

Date: 8 pm ET on Friday, November 27
Price: Visit this page to stream the performance for free

In early 2019, Iranian-born singer Farnaz Ohadi mesmerized Museum audiences with a spellbinding concert focused on songs from her first album, 2016’s Bird Dance. Developed over four years, the recording tells of Ohadi’s early life in Iran and her decision to leave her country of birth to make a life in Canada.

The Vancouver-based artist is sharing the latest flamenco-infused chapter of her musical story, this time in a special online performance on Friday, November 27, 2020 for the Museum’s Duende Festival. Click the video below to replay the performance-documentary The Road to Azadi.Libertad for free.

Presenting selections from her upcoming Azadi.Libertad release, Ohadi debuted her latest sonic experiments fusing Persian balladry and flamenco. Accompanying the Canadian Folk Music Award nominee will be her band the Mashregh Ensemble, featuring Josue Tacoronte Otero (guitar), Amir Amiri (santour), Michael Rush (bass), Hanser Santos Gomez (percussion), and Sydney Cochrane (flamenco dance).

Due in 2021, Azadi.Libertad began as an achingly personal response to social unrest that flared up in Iran in early 2020. “Intense emotions are fully on display, ranging from nostalgia, to pain, yearning, and rage,” Ohadi says. “Nevertheless, the underlying current of each song always remains within the exploration of the idea of how deeply the two genres can be fused.”