From the album Niyaz, 2005 Written by Niyaz Courtesy of Six Degrees Records
	From the album Niyaz, 2005 Written by Niyaz Courtesy of Six Degrees Records
	From the album Niyaz, 2005 Written by Niyaz Courtesy of Six Degrees Records

Written by Tom Schnabel

Niyaz - the Farsi word for Yearning - is the musical brainchild of three musicians: top deejay, programmer/producer and remixer Carmen Rizzo, vocalist and hammered dulcimer player Azam Ali, formerly of the group VAS, and Loga Ramin Torkian of the popular Iranian crossover group Axiom of Choice.

Azam was born in Iran but raised in India, where she started singing at an early age, absorbing the rich cultures of both countries. Her early music influences include the English soprano Emily Van Evera and singing-medieval- mystic-visionary-composer and abbess, Hildegard von Bingen. Loga Ramin Torkian plays guitar, the saz, and rabab, while Carmen Rizzo does all the programming; keyboards, synthesizers and drums, as well as performing live with the group. On their new album for Six Degrees Records, Tony Levin of King Crimson plays bass along with other Indian and Armenian musical guests.

Niyaz is a mixture of old and new, of cutting edge sounds and timeless musical traditions. Their lyrics - also timeless - are drawn from Sufi mystics, such as the Persian poet Rumi, and other classic poetry sung in Urdu. Sufism reflects ancient beauty and wisdom; Niyaz claims it for our times and gives it a modern, yet reverent expression.