Nearly 100 musicians from across the Middle East have created a “peace album” with the intention of promoting peace in the embattled region.
Iranian musician Mehdi Rajabian (MEDI RA HA BIAN) put the together the album, titled “Middle Eastern”, using songs from local artists across 13 countries using local instruments and also aims to highlight the native tunes of the Middle East.
The 11 track album, released by the Sony Music Company on Friday, were mostly written by the artists themselves, and were recorded in a variety of settings, including during an air attack and “on a boat by a fleeing refugee.”
Even though the musicians did not have any interactions with each other, producer Rajabian said a “coherent sadness” stretches through the songs, and “[the album] ends in complete hopelessness”.