- This collaboration of Iranian born Afghan singer Elaha Soroor with award-winning, UK-based duo Kerfaya is greater than the sum of its parts: the modern approach to Afghani folk that underpins Soroor’s treatment, combined with the eclectic experience of the production duo. Al MacSween on keys and guitarist Giuliano Modarelli are founders of the international collective Kerfaya which won Songlines Magazine’s Best Newcomer Award in 2017 for their release Radio International. Variously described as ‘guerrilla jazz’ and ‘global protest music’ they have found a beautiful muse and worthy collaborator in Elaha Soroor to further explore their rich habitat of contemporary world-fusion.
Songs of Our Mothers is a collection of folk music normally performed by Afghani women and reflects Soroor's own experience of fleeing Afghanistan as a Hazari female singer amidst a persistent and heightened climate of patriarchal oppression and persecution of women. Having reached a level of fame in 2004 after her near-win on the reality TV show Afghan Star, Elaha Soroor fled to London after her much publicised views on women’s rights made it impossible for her to remain in Afghanistan.
At the heart of this musical and poetic collaboration are songs that allude, metaphorically, to pictures of pain and resilience, to sheer joy in times of hardship and oppression, passed on from mother to daughter. The dub accompaniment to Arose Jane Madar is an expression of a bride’s love of her mother, while the opener and first single Jama Narenji is just about an orange dress but is also the vehicle for Kerfaya’s ensemble of guests to shine.
Tablist Sarathy Korwar, Clarinettist Manos Achalinotopolous, Yazz Ahmed on Flugelhorn, Tamar Osborne on baritone sax and long-time Kerfaya drummer Joost Hendrickx are at the core on tracks like Gole Be Khar and Carnatic violinist Jhotsna Srikanth with fellow Azari singer Mohsen Namjoo arrive at a beautiful stopover on closing lullaby Lalay Lalay.
Elaha Soroor and Kerfaya and a fine international line-up whose homelands cover the musical climates of Iran, India, Greece, Italy and UK can truly be held up as purveyors of ‘a united front of spirited, musical and political expression’ with this debut collaboration. Here’s hoping that Songs of Our Mothers is just the beginning of this musical adventure for Kerfaya + Elaha Soroor.
- Rick Heritage.