Minoo Javan Timeless Persian Treasures CD

Minoo Javan's recordings are cherished by Persians all over the world as a unique reflection of their rich and fabled culture. Her musical journey began when she assisted Iraj Golesorkhi in collecting myriad Persian folk songs from the diverse provinces of Iran. They performed and recorded this folk music in Iran, together with his compositions in more than 300 concerts and countless radio broadcasts. After coming to America, other bends in the road led her to study opera and classical music at the University Of Southern California’s School of Music, where she was awarded one of its prestigious opera scholarships, and to sing the music of Broadway and other American genres, including her recent sojourn into the world of American jazz with Les McCann on "All That Jazz, but in Persian." Other recent releases of her recordings include Echoes Of Love and Persian Folk Songs.When asked why she recorded her latest album, “Timeless Persian Treasures,” Minoo Javan said, “The joy of singing for me is to sing songs that touch my heart, regardless of their genre. I also decided to sing these Timeless Jewels in the hope that by this renewed exposure younger and future generations of Persians may embrace a musical genre that has been treasured for centuries and is an integral part of the tapestry of our rich musical heritage.”In a recent interview, Minoo Javan described her latest album: “All the poems in this album speak of love, the love of God or the romantic love of another.In the first song, (Ya Rab), the poet speaks of the fire that has inflamed his heart with love of God. He begs God to either allow him to find God in his heart and become one with him or for God to take his life. He makes it clear that he would prefer death to failing to find God in his heart. In the second (Shab-e-Vasl and Ze Dast-e-Maboub), fourth (Aghrab-e-Zolfe Kajat) and fifth (Ay Mah- e-Man, Ay Bot-e- Chin) songs, the whimsical, playful and sweet lyrics are about romantic love, admiring the beloved and seeking more love and togetherness. In the third song, (Baz Amadam), Rumi, the esteemed and revered Persian Sufi poet of the thirteenth-century, speaks of returning to this life again after thousands of years and being separated from his beloved God. He is happy to come back to help a loved one, but has reservations about returning. He tells us about the wondrous place he dwelled and the place of honor he held before he came back to this world again. He begs to be freed from this sojourn back to earth and to rise again to the high place that he occupied in eternity. He proudly tells us that he was a special bird of paradise, that he was a magnificent pearl, a clear light, who fell in the net of the hunter and was brought back to earth.In the sixth song (Ba Man Sanama), Rumi speaks of his desire to become one with his beloved God. He also tells us that having the flame of love in the heart and becoming one with God does not need any particular ritual. It is all in the heart.In the last song (Raftam Dar-e- Maykhane), the poet speaks of the way of the Sufi, going to the tavern, drinking the divine wine, getting closer to his beloved God and forgetting his earthly body to immerse himself in love in contemplation of his return home to God.”