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We are Here .​.​. Still

by Kamyar Arsani

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1.
2.
"Whispers of the night grow within my vein The rain drops on dry walls of my mind I was not here I'm a star pouring down, on grass a lantern Cleansing in the madness of ocean waves Where is this lantern heading to? in the midst of angels whirling"-Sohrab Sepehri
3.
"Who said we believed in your lies? Feeding the best laying in your heart Who said we should call you our destiny? I find your words toxic, the poison you feed Who said we crowned you as our God, Christ, Savior? Who said we gave you permission to kill?destroy?deceive our heart? Who are you to find yourself above, us, saints of dust We don't know our path, because we don't know we're lost. If you find me with no shelter Would you help to let me in if you find me shivering Would you care to hold me in Or will you like everyone else Turn your back on my hopes ad dreams?"
4.
"At dusk, among the the exhausted presence of objects A waiting glance, observed the weight of time and on the table, crowded noise from gathering of fresh fruits flew towards the confused awareness of death. and on the rug that carries leisure, wind took the smell of the yard, and dedicated it to the flat sides of life and just like a hand fan, mind was holding onto the bright surface of a flower and was fanning itself. Traveler stepped out of the bus: "what a clear sky!" and the horizon of a foreign street took him away. You could hear the sound of plants, traveler arrived sitting on a comfort chair on side of the road: My heart is sad, strangely missing everything..."
5.
"It all matters. That someone turns out the lamp, picks up the windblown wrapper, says hello to the invalid, pays at the unattended lot, listens to the repeated tale, folds the abandoned laundry, plays the game fairly, tells the story honestly, acknowledges help, gives credit, says good night, resists temptation, wipes the counter, waits at the yellow, makes the bed, tips the maid, remembers the illness, congratulates the victor, accepts the consequences, takes a stand, steps up, offers a hand, goes first, goes last, chooses the small portion, teaches the child, tends to the dying, comforts the grieving, removes the splinter, wipes the tear, directs the lost, touches the lonely, is the whole thing. What is most beautiful is least acknowledged. What is worth dying for is barely noticed." — Laura McBride, We Are Called to Rise
6.
7.
When it seems like everything is dying I notice birds standing on a cable at 4 a.m Only when my brain reaches a melting point, I start to see way clearer We are all fucked up and beautiful in our own way now colors are changing everywhere and we're running out of time Now for a penny and a dime We're standing on the waiting line

about

"We are Here ... Still" is selection of songs, written, arranged and produced during first phase of quarantine in Washington D.C area during crisis of COVID-19 pandemic. The album came to be, as thank you to friends and supporters along my journey.
The Money raised from this album is going towards "Humanitarian Relief Coalition (HUREC)" providing necessary medical supplies and resources to hospitals, medical teams, and patients free of charge to battle the devastating effects of COVID-19 in Iran.
Humanitarian Relief Coalition (HUREC) is a joint effort of Iranian American organizations and medical professionals to deliver life-saving support to our fellow Iranians facing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) disaster in Iran. The coalition consists of charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and is non-political and non-religious. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic and and the urgent humanitarian need, the Iranian American Medical Association (IAMA), Moms against Poverty (MAP), Institute for International Health and Education (IIHE), Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), Keep Children in School (KCIS), along with other dedicated organizations and volunteers, initiated the Humanitarian Relief Coalition (HUREC) in March of 2020.

I need to thank everyone who helped with creating this album:
1- My dear Maya for letting me borrow ZOOM H4 mic, and her sister Zoe for letting me have a laptop!
2- Gratitude and eshgh to Miead Nik for his love and support, and reading his poem on song 1 "Jana". He wrote the poem for his daughter, and it was an honor to be permitted to write a song for this amazing father and daughter.
3- I thank Matthew Byers, for being an inspiration in music community, not only to me but everyone who come his way. He also is a supporter from first album and chipped in when I asked for help. For this album, Matthew inspired me to create a Daf track called "Life Force", based on a poem he recently read by -Laura McBride, We Are Called to Rise. I hope you enjoy this song Matthew!
4-Mike Edwards, for always being on my side and supporting all projects I'm involved in. He also lifted me up by purchasing my discography and when I asked him to collaborate with me on a song, he indeed had a flashlight ready to show me a path to new dimension of song writing. From our talks and his guiding words, we landed on 2 synth led tracks (6&7). Cheers Mike!

Hope you enjoy, and keep supporting

credits

released April 24, 2020

Music contributions:

Miead Nik: co-songwriter, poem and voice on track 1 "Jana"
Matthew Byers: co-songwriter on track 5 "Life Force"
Mike Edward: co-songwriter on tracks 6&7

Poems:

Miead nik - track 1 "Jana"
Sohrab Sepehri - tracks 2 & 4
Laura McBride (from We Are Called To Rise/2014)
My poems on tracks 3&7

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Kamyar Arsani Frederick, Maryland

Kamyar Arsani, a scholar of the Daf (the Iranian frame drum) is an Iranian multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Through his solo work and numerous collaborations, Arsani creates music across an array of styles, ranging from classical Persian music to genre-defying punk and electronic experimentation. ... more

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