Around the World with Saz Stories

The saz is the long-necked fretted lute at the heart of many Middle Eastern and Anatolian folk traditions; this storytelling concert, with a band led by saz virtuoso and composer Hoshang Habash, takes the audience through the cultures and traditions of the music – original compositions as well as songs that reimagine the saz within other musical traditions: an Indian-inspired piece, a folk song rooted in Hoshang’s own heritage, an Arabic number, and a reggae detour, each one carrying its own story into the next. Musically, the night moves through reggae, funk, jazz, Latin, ambient, and folk influences alongside the band’s own fusion sound.