Young Iranian-Kurdish tanbur player x ‘A revelation that has to be seen to be believed.’ (Dusted Magazine)

Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian (IR) – the son of a percussionist and local instrument maker – is a young Kurdish tanbur player from Kermanshah, a city in the mountainous western Iranian region of Horaman.  

Heydarian currently lives in Tehran and harbours a deep affection for the country where he grew up. He named his first album after the region where he grew up: Songs of Horaman.  

Its successor from 2025, Noor-e Vojood (which translates as ‘The Light of Existence’), was also released on Tilburg-based Radio Khiyaban, an experimental label focusing on music from the SWANA underground. The album struck a chord with musical connoisseurs.  

Boomkat: ‘It's music that takes your breath away.’ (Dusted Magazine): ‘Heydarian’s playing is a revelation that has to be seen to be believed. Heydarian’s music is a reminder that the cultures of Iran and Central Asia transcend the political strife that tends to dominate Western perceptions of the region.’  

The Quietus saw him in action at the latest edition of Le Guess Who? and wrote: ‘An astonishing show.’