Some music instruments carry a whole world of tradition, faith and culture. It’s the case of the tanbur, a millenia-old lute strongly tied to the city of Kermanshah, western Iran. Its practice is associated with mystical Yarsan religious beliefs and its knowledge is passed down through generations.
Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian, a young master of the instrument, was immersed in this culture from an early age. He began learning the maqams (modes/scales) as a child and is now sharing his hypnotic compositions on the tanbur, as if it was an extension of his soul. This year at Le Guess Who?, Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian presents a solo performance in TivoliVredenburg.
Photography by Shaghayeghe Habibi
Spending the summer traveling together between Karaj, a city located one hour west of Tehran, and West Iran, Mostafa's wife, Shaghayeghe Habibi, created a photo series of the artist and his surroundings. Together, they visited the lutherie atelier of his father, Darvish Morteza, and her grand parents' house.
Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian's father was a percussion player who started learning tanbur crafting at the age of twenty. It is in these overlapping worlds of tradition, family, faith, and culture that Mostafa is born. There are pictures of him holding a tanbur before he can even walk and he began learning scales at around seven years old. Also around this time the family moved to Karaj, a move that provided more opportunities to meet musicians that regularly drop by Morteza's tanbur studio. It is there that Mostafa starts taking lessons from master teachers.
Reflective and profound, the music of Mostafa's latest album Noor-e Vojood unfolds through repetitive melodies and rhythms which gradually, gently evolve, for a style that is deeply personal, yet deeply connected with history.
View the full photo series here.
Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian performs live at Le Guess Who? 2025 on Friday, 7 November.
Photography by Shaghayeghe Habibi
