Shahzaidi

Shahziydi, ‘Ali Asghar (b. 1948). He was born in Isfahan into a musical family. Although his father lacked any formal musical training, but he had a good voice and played the ney. His paternal uncle was a skilful vocalist. ‘Ali Asghar loved music and the sung from childhood when he listened to the musical programs on the radio. Taj Isfahani was profoundly influenced by his talents, selflessness, and character. Having studied under outstanding masters like Jalil Shahnaz, Hasan Kasa’i, Sayyid Muhammad Tahirpur, and ‘Ali Tajwidi, and working with Riza Kasa’i and Husayn ‘Amu’i, he participated in the nationwide competition held by the Barbad Society and was awarded the first prize. Following the Isfahan style of vocals, he follows Jalal Taj, though he studied under early masters like Sayyid Husayn Tahirzada, Sayyid Rahim, and Adib Khansari, enriching his vocals by their delicacies. His performances are marked by his poetic appreciation, appealing harmony between poetry and melodic types of unmeasured singing parts of dastgahs (gushaha-yi avazi), accurate poetical expression, and correct pronunciation of the words all of which formed on the basis of the fundamental and undeniable principle of harmonious vocals (munasibkhani). He has been teaching the singing at the School of Art, Isfahan, since 1979. His albums include: the Charkh-i Gardun and the Rawish-i Asmani.