Ává
Singer/songwriter, Ává cannot easily be labeled. The multidimensional artist's first mainstream album, Turning Point, has fused the rich melody of traditional Eastern music with the modern chord structure and sophisticated sounds of the western world.
Not wanting to be "pigeonholed" she says was her biggest challenge when recording her latest album. Ává describes this project as the soundtrack to her life with a "Persian, indie-rock, vibe". Not afraid to experiment with various melodies, her self-penned songs tap into many genres of music including rock, country, electronic and ballads – all inspired by her fascinating life experiences.
A native of Iran, Ává began to explore many different types of music at a young age. Aside from her love of Eastern music, Ává felt inspired early on by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sting, Santana and more recently by strong female performer-writers such as Alannis Morrisette. With some humor she recalls singing along with songs on the radio as a child in Iran not having any idea what the lyrics actually meant. Nevertheless, she has always felt music has a universal appeal that transcends the meaning of the words.
After the Islamic Revolution, Ává, as a member of the Bahá'í religious minority in Iran, faced persecution in a society that overnight had become fundamentalist. Not able to freely leave the country because of her religious beliefs, she escaped Iran by crossing the border into Pakistan and it was there that, two years later, she was granted religious asylum by the United Nations. After receiving her documents, she came to the United States and this has been her home ever since.
The title track on her album Turning Point was inspired by an event that occurred during her escape from Iran. The van in which she and a few other youths were being smuggled had been stopped by locals on the Pakistani side of the border. While the drivers were bargaining for safe passage, an elderly woman approached her and offered her an apple. Being more tired than hungry, she at first declined, but was quickly informed by one of the guides that it would be a mark of disrespect to refuse what for the old woman was a precious commodity and a sincere offer of hospitality. Not wanting to offend, she took the apple, which was already rotting and covered with sand and dutifully ate it.
Reflecting later on the circumstances which caused her to leave her homeland, namely intolerance, hatred, ignorance and fear, she was struck by the simple act of a stranger offering a gift to someone she had only just met – that even in times of adversity, there can still be simple acts of humanity.
This epiphany has helped fuel her musical gift and allowed her to transform her and others' experiences into song. Another track on the album, Painted Windows, was written to throw light on the plight of women living in Afghanistan under the Taliban while another, Life Gone Mad, shows a suburban existence can also be the theme for a fun song. She believes that everyone experiences their own individual "turning point", in which a realization is made and life is forever changed. This world citizen hopes that her album will encourage listeners to reflect on their own life experiences - whether they be the every day trials and tribulations as a suburban mom, or a personal plight ending with a life-altering decision.
Driven by her passion for music and her strong faith, Ává has never lost sight of her dreams to bring her unique style of music to the world stage. She has traveled extensively through Europe, countries of the former Soviet Union, and Australasia, performing in distinguished venues such as Carnegie and Tchaikovsky Halls in New York and Moscow.