Fared Shafinury was born in North America, but now splits his time between Texas and Tehran where he has studied with legendary masters of musical radif. This ancient form of Persian music is a specific set of melodies that play a key role in the storytelling and poetry of Iran. Even though he's spent the better part of a decade studying radif, Shafinury understands that the music of his heritage may potentially alienate American listeners. So when he recorded his debut Behind The Seas (2008) in Iran he added Western instruments such as cellos and guitars to accompany the setars and santurs.
