Hamed Nikpay: all photos by Mak NZ

Reviewed by Omid Arabian

Hamed Nikpay, the Iranian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, brought his unique brand of flamenco-infused Persian music to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on October 3rd. Mr. Nikpay is blessed with a powerful voice that—though it lacks the velvety richness of Nazeri’s or the theatricality of Namjoo’s—can bring the house down with its sheer force. For most of the evening, however, Mr. Nikpay stopped short of going full-blast, preferring instead to showcase his admittedly impressive control and impeccable musicality.  This made for a show that, though long on beauty and class, was also a bit short on passion—despite the flamenco flavor.
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The performance did catch fire at times, especially on the two occasions where Mr. Nikpay allowed his voice to really absorb and reflect the spirit of Flamenco. As he performed the songs Beyond Reproach and The Fire Within, one could not help but be carried on the ebb and flow of that soaring, muscular voice. Wisely, Mr. Nikpay saved both pieces for climaxes of sorts – as closers for each half of the concert. The passion was also evident the encore reprise of The Owner of This Land (Malek-e Een Khak), which (in contrast to the tame version Mr. Nikpay opened with) fully transformed into the anthem that it has deservedly become.

Mr. Nikpay has wisely surrounded himself with a quartet of extremely gifted musicians. Farzin Farhadi (sax), Dimitris Mahlis (oud), and Daniel Fries (guitar)—all masters in their own right—meshed together exquisitely and provided a shimmering backdrop for Mr. Nikpay’s voice; but the standout among these was the percussionist Greg Ellis. Mr. Nikpay used the word “legendary” to introduce Ellis—and perhaps none too prematurely. Surrounded by an eclectic drumset of eastern instruments, Mr. Ellis performed as though in a trance, keeping the complex backbeats with astounding precision, always coaxing the perfect tone from each of the skins but never veering into showiness (except during an extended solo that earned the night’s most emphatic cheers).

Omid Arabian is a writer and arts reviewer in Los Angeles.

 
The Hamed Nikpay Ensemble

Artists in Nikpay show shine at the Wilshire Ebell