For you all enjoying this music and wondering about its roots, the instrument is called Tanbour. It has several variations in Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaycan. This particular type of Tanbur and the music belong to the western Kurdish regions of Iran. The music has religious roots and is widely played in religious ceremonies and rituals. If you are from the western hemisphere and find this music familiar and good sounding while still mysterious and mystical, no surprise. Tanbour is different from other eastern instruments for it only has tones and semi-tones while other eastern instruments have quarter tones too. Quarter tones may sound dissonant to most modern western ears. But believe me, the more you listen to it, the more familiar it becomes and when you finally get it, it will open many doors to the beauty and mystery of eastern music. CC// arash mousavi
