TAYF: Sahrit Saffron

   

I went to my third TAYF Concert on April 23, 2026.  This one was at the Color Club Ballroom on Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood.  The concert was titled Sahrit Saffron which is an “expansive cultural night steeped in SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) roots and rhythms". The theme and the concert sought to evoke the warmth and light of saffron, acting as a celebration of existence, tradition, and cultural preservation. 

In light of the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, the notions of existence, tradition, and cultural preservation are much more serious and precious.  This did not escape the producer and musicians of TAYF as they crafted the concert pieces and presentation.  The first half of the show was more somber and lamenting.  Songs, poems, and dances of lament is something that many SWANA cultures, sadly, have perfected and created in great numbers due to the history of the region.  The second half of the concert was more hopeful which is, of course, what buoys these same cultures to persist, honor traditions, and embrace their cultures.  TAYF delivered all this most in a beautifully crafted concert.

I have attended three TAYF concerts.  The first was their inaugural concert at the Old Town School of Music.  The second was in October of 2025, TAYF: From Ash to Bloom.  All three concerts were wonderful and enjoyable.  The group has evolved and grown with each concert.  In the concert last night, they took it to another level entirely.  I was really blown away.

They were in one word tighter.  In few other words, they were more comfortable on stage.  Tighter and more comfortable with each other, being on stage, and the music is part of the formula for musical excellence.  The arrangements were wonderful, highlighting each and every performer.  The interplay of the vocalists in leads, back-ups, and harmony was very well done.  The meld of music and Phaedra’s improvisational dancing was perfectly in-sync. The group was noticeable tighter than the other concerts I went to.  There were zero mistakes that I noted.  Everyone seemed more confident and they were not only ready for the stage last night.  I also believe they were ready for the recording studio and bigger stages. 

 TAYF  members at the Sahrit Saffron Concert:

• C Mikhail – Bass, Vocals           
• Sham Abyad –Vocalist
• Karl El Sokhn – Guitar, Riq, Drums, Vocals
• Dr. Aliah Ajamoughli, PhD – Cello
• Phaedra Darwish – Flute, Vocals, Dancer
• Dr. Shayna Silverstein – Violin
• Yasmeen – Dancer
• Pan Fayang – Guest flute, ney 

None of this happens without a lot of hard work and practice.  While the credit goes to the ensemble, the driving force and creator of TAYF, C Mikhail, clearly deserves a lot of credit.  C sets the tone, creates a beautiful culture for the group that nurtured and sustained their dedication to the group, and arranged all the songs except one for this concert.  Their arrangements were impressive in terms of fullness and texture.  I was most impressed by the way C highlighted the talents of Aliah, Shayna, Phaedra, and Pan that were notable in various passages throughout concert.  My ears perked up to very noticeable lush cello lines, soprano violin riffs, and beautiful flute adornments.  This kind of arranging added so much color and intricacy to the music.

 Here is the musical line-up for the evening.

• Morghe Sahar
• Hadi ya bahr
• Ya msafer wahdak
• Ala Tariq
• Kifak Inta
  
  
• Intermission
  
  
• Dak khilkeh
• Shou hal ayyam
• Baatilak
• Talfan Ayyash
• Ayshe wahda balak

 

I was impressed with C’s vocal skills.  For the opening musical piece, C sang Morge Sahar, a song regarded as an ‘anthem’ against injustice in Iran and the signature piece of the famed Mohammed Reza Shajarian.  C sang it in Farsi, not a language they are fluent in, while playing the bass.  It was beautiful.  C’s bass playing was also showcased in an engaging bass taksim.  C and Sham teamed up for a beautiful lament of just voice and bass.  It was very moving, maybe the highlight of the first half of the show.  Karl sang two songs and has become something of specialist in singing in the style of Ziad Rahbani.  Both Karl and Phaedra sang chorus parts in other songs as well.

I cannot comment on TAYF without praising Sham’s amazing singing.  She is something very special and her rich vocal stylings, alone, are reason enough to come to attend a TAYF concert.  Abdo Timejardine-Zomeño, a clarinet player in the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble (MEME), praised Sham after a MEME concert with perfect sentiment: “I could listen to this Queen sing all night.”  Indeed!  To me, she is ‘the Fairuz of Chicago.’

Queen Yasmeen and Phaedra’s dancing added a beautiful visual dimension to the performance.  Queen Yasmeen danced elegantly and gracefully to recorded music to both kick-off and end the concert.  Phaedra danced, interpretively, to pieces played by the ensemble.  It was art music and dancing embracing Arab culture.      

The crowd of friends and fans absolutely loved TAYF.  Probably a third were MEME members.  Every member of TAYF either is currently in MEME or once was.  Everyone in attendance loved each and every music and dance offering.  They showed it with loud, sustained, and enthusiastic applause.

The entire evening was curated and produced by BIYA BIYA Productions founded by Yasmeen Zacaria Mikhaiel, another MEME member.  Yasi made the evening more than just a concert, they had a bazaar of local merchants and organizations with tables on the periphery of the concert hall, there was photo booth with a live photographer, and a DJ dance party after the TAYF concert.  It was all very well done and made for a great evening all around.  BIYA BIYA Productions and TAYF are about the same age as both were founded just a few years ago.  Their teaming up was natural, and their growth has had the same trajectory.  This was the best TAYF to this point.  This was the best curated and produced TAYF event as well.  TAYF has solidified as an ensemble and were more natural and comfortable on stage, the same could be said about Yasi as well from her opening remarks and to how they interfaced with the audience, band, and staff.  I look forward to seeing this partnership grow and blossom.

The future looks very bright for TAYF and BIYA BIYA.  I will be the first in-line to buy a TAYF CD and, who knows, maybe even a TAYF World Tour 2028 hoodie.

=== Photos ===

Queen Yasmeen

 

Sham

 Phaedra

 

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Click here more information on: 

This TAYF:  Sahrit Saffron event including bios of the musicians

BIYA BIYA Productions

Marianna Gevorgyan: A virtuoso voice of the Armenian kanun

 

First Published in the Armenian Weekly.

     We all have friends or acquaintances we have never met and only know through social media. We also have select lists of celebrities we follow online. Marianna Gevorgyan is both for me. First and foremost, she is a world-renowned master and virtuoso of the Armenian kanun. I delight in viewing the reels and videos of her performing. Marianna has become a social media friend as well, primarily because she responds to and engages with people like me who comment on and admire her musical talents. She is also gracious in her likes and comments on my musical posts.

     Marianna was born in Yerevan in 1986 and began her musical journey at the Alexander Spendiaryan Music School. She pursued higher education at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, completing her bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate studies with high honors. Her dedication to the kanun has been the defining focus of her career.

     The Armenian kanun (also transliterated as kanon or qanun) is a trapezoidal zither that is centuries old. It is a cornerstone of Armenian folk and classical music, distinguished by its bright and resonant timbre. Unlike many stringed instruments that use wooden soundboards, the kanun’s bridge rests on goat or fish-skin membranes, producing a sharp, percussive tone that carries beautifully in both intimate ensembles and orchestras. 

     The Armenian kanun has 26 courses of three strings tuned to the same pitch, for a total of 78 strings. The instrument is played with two picks, one on each forefinger. The picks are held on the fingers by metal bands and are traditionally made of tortoiseshell (though modern ones use horn or synthetic materials), producing a sharp, clear attack. Virtuoso players like Marianna use all 10 fingers to play complex chords, arpeggios and full-bodied strumming.

 

     While the right hand plucks, the left hand frequently moves the small metallic levers, or mandals, near the tuning pegs to change pitch mid-performance. This allows the player to access accidentals and modulate between musical keys.

     In Armenia, the kanun is primarily played by women. They often begin at a young age, and many have seen videos of young girls playing with great intricacy and precision in unison. Marianna was one of those young musicians who has blossomed into an internationally recognized master of her instrument.

     Don’t just take my word for it. Kanun player and recording artist Ara Topouzian had this to say about Marianna: “Marianna doesn’t just play the kanun—she reveals its full voice. With striking versatility, she moves seamlessly between styles and moods, carrying a sound that resonates far beyond the stage. She is, without question, a pride of Armenia.”

     Duduk and clarinet virtuoso Mher Mnatsakanyan was equally exuberant in his praise of Marianna’s talent: “Marianna Gevorgyan stands among the most respected voices of the kanun today. Through her artistry, dedication and deep understanding of tradition, she continues to elevate the instrument, inspiring audiences and musicians alike across generations.” 

     Marianna has a long list of awards that includes:

• Global Icon Award (Music), 2025: Honored as the sole representative of Armenia at an event in Athens, Greece, organized with the support of UNESCO, UNICEF and the United Nations;
• World Folk Vision, 2020 Grand Prix: Won the top prize in the “Music of the Peoples of the World” category, competing against nearly 4,000 participants from 115 countries;
• Music Ambassador Award: Received first prize at an international competition held in India.

     Marianna is a wonderful player. Her virtuosity is enhanced by her grace, natural beauty and elegant gowns. She has been interviewed in the media and appeared on magazine covers around the world. She is also a cultural ambassador for Armenia. Artists around the world have painted portraits of her. She has inspired poets (including yours truly).

     Follow Marianna on social media and enjoy her YouTube channel @mariannagevorgyan.

Դուն Էն Հուրին Իս (Doun En Hoorin Is), penned Feb. 12, 2026

Floating gracefully upon
the pluckish tendrilities,
the babbling brookiness,
the very Armenian kanun,
the effortless emanation
from Marianna’s heart and soul,

I am there, in Hayastan,
in Amberd, at Saghmosavank,
nowhere near Yerevan,
in the small villages,
just imagining, channeling,
our tarn upon tarn
centuries older than old
sacred spirit vibrating
in our very genes.

The poem is best read listening to this rendition of the Sayat Nova song, which is the title of the poem.

  

Tigran Hamasyan captivates Chicago audience in University of Chicago performance

 

     Originally published in the Armenian Weekly.

     On Friday, March 13, we ventured to Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side to attend a concert featuring Tigran Hamasyan and Third Coast Percussion (TCP). It was the second time we had seen Hamasyan perform. The first was two years earlier, again in March, which featured intense jazz in a hip concert hall in Lincoln Park. This performance, by contrast, took place in the more traditional, 400-seat performance hall at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Chicago.

      The audience also differed noticeably. At the earlier concert, the average age appeared to be around 30. This time, it was closer to 50. The concert quickly sold out, prompting the addition of a second performance to accommodate demand.

     The first half of the program featured Chicago’s acclaimed TCP, a Grammy Award-winning percussion quartet and composer collective founded in 2005. The ensemble has become a leading force in contemporary classical music, known for its “vibrant” (The New Yorker) and “hard-grooving” (The New York Times) performances.  

 

     The opening piece, Etude No. 1, was written by Hamasyan and arranged by TCP for percussion quartet. Hamasyan joined the ensemble for the performance. The piece was light and airy, with Armenian melodic phrases as the weft to the jazz warps. The interplay of piano, vibraphone and marimba created a rich musical tapestry of point and counterpoint.

     TCP continued with three additional selections, each commissioned with the support of benefactors. The first, Lady Justice / Black Justice, The Song, was composed by Jessie Montgomery and inspired by Ori G. Carino’s painting Black Justice. Montgomery described the work as “a deep collaboration and artistic symbiosis” between composer, ensemble and visual artist. “I am privileged to call them friends in music and in life,” he stated.

     The next piece, Orion, by Brazilian composer and guitarist Sérgio Assad, was written in celebration of TCP’s 20th anniversary in 2024. Structured in five movements, it showcased the ensemble’s virtuosity: Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin and David Skidmore performing with precision and dynamic range.

     The final piece of the first half, Sonata for Percussion, was composed by Hamasyan in 2024. I loved this piece. While structured in a classical sonata structure, it was done Hamasyan style, infusing Armenian motifs and melodic notions into a jazz form fluidly and seamlessly. 

      After intermission, the program shifted to Hamasyan’s solo performance. Taking the stage to vigorous applause, he sat at a concert grand Steinway and mesmerized us for about 45 minutes.

     The program listed “solo selections,” though it was not always clear where composition ended and improvisation began. I am not enough of a student of his work to know the answer to this question. What was clear, however, was the intimacy of the experience. Hamasyan’s playing moved fluidly between delicate, almost whispering passages and bold, percussive intensity. Armenian themes surfaced throughout, grounding even the most exploratory moments. It was soft and delicate sometimes and bold and edgy at others.

 

     What I enjoyed most was what I will call his aghpuir moments—named for the Armenian word աղբյուր, meaning “spring.” In these passages, often two-thirds of the way through a piece, Hamasyan would shift to the highest register of the piano, leaning over the keyboard, his eyes nearly level with his fingers. There, he would improvise fragments of Armenian melodies in a bubbling, fluid style, reminiscent of a natural spring or babbling brook, hence the Armenian word aghpuir.

      Following the performance, we met several Armenians, most of whom were from the Republic of Armenia. Some of them had driven two or three hours to be there and planned to return home that same evening. Although Hamasyan did not come to the afterglow, having performed in the same hall, I knew where the green room was. My wife, Judy, encouraged me to go and try to meet him. I was a little hesitant because I have heard that Hamasyan is a very shy person, but I did go and he was very gracious, taking a photo with me.

     Tigran Hamasyan is an immense talent—a national treasure for Armenians and highly regarded by a large non-Armenian following around the world. If you are unfamiliar with his work, find him on YouTube and listen to his music. And if he performs in your city, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go. I am most definitely a fan.