A collaboration between the Kronos Quartet and Azerbaijani singer Alim Qasimov is a stunning prospect. But what happens when such different musical worlds collide? Michael Church reports
They [Kronos Quartet] have made a speciality of cross-cultural collaborations, the most notable being with the Bollywood diva Asha Bhosle.
Their leader, David Harrington, has long been mesmerised by Qasimov. “I’ve waited 15 years for a chance to work with him,” he says. “When I first met him, I was simply struck by his presence, without even hearing him sing. But when I did, I realised his voice was as unique as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s, or the tenor John McCormack’s in Irish ballads, or Bessie Smith’s in St Louis Blues. There’s a special quality to that voice, a connection between it and his inner life.”
Complete at Guardian.co.uk
Earlier related: Ramadan Nights – Kronos Quartet and Alim Qasimov Ensemble
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