Ishtar Quartet

Ishtar Quartet consists of: Filippos Glinavos (Guitar) from Greece, Ildo Nandja (Bass) from Mozambique, Martin Hafizi (Drums) from Bulgaria and Ishtar Bakhtali (Vocals/Compositions) from The Netherlands. Compositions have influences from Indian Classical music, latin and Jazz with lyrics often inspired by nature and travel.

With a mutual interest in Indian raga and rhythmical patterns, Filippos and Ishtar started collaborating in 2019 in a trio founded by Ishtar. Shortly after Ishtar left for India and after several months of research and study returned to the first Dutch lockdown in March 2020. Back in Rotterdam Ishtar connected with Ildo Nandja finding a mutual interest in Portuguese language and Brazilian music as well as social engagement. Finally Martin Hafizi joined the project, adding his rhythmic ingenuity to the quartet.

Mozambican Ildo Nandja is a versatile and progressive bassist and multi-instrumentalist with an ambitious cross-fusion approach bent towards contemporary influenced jazz. His major influences are artists such as Anders Jormin, Shai Maestro and John Goldsby who have inspired Ildo’s sound, stage performance and compositional techniques.

Ildo's music gained popularity and attention in 2016 in South Africa, and overseas with the release of his debut ‘’Pâz Á Todos’’ which gained wide recognition within the PanAfrican jazz charts.

Martin Hafizi is a drummer from Sofia, Bulgaria. He started learning classical percussion from six years old and studied from 7 years old in Maria Palieva’s class in the National School of Music “Lyubomir Pipkov”, Sofia. He has been taking part in many competitions and has numerous prizes.

In 2016 Martin Hafizi obtained his Bachelor degree in the Jazz department of Codarts in the class of Hans van Oosterhout and Joost Patocka. Afterwards he obtained his Master degree in the Pop department of Codarts in the class of Hans Eijkenaar and Martijn Vink. Over the years, Martin has shared the stage with world renowned musicians such as: Billy Harper, Franz von Chossy, Niti Ranjan Biswas, Georg Breinschmid, Antoni Donchev, Dimitar Bodurov, Simeon Shterev, etc. Martin has been touring in Europe and Asia and has playing at numerous festivals and venues.

Filippos Glinavos is a guitarist, composer and music educator living and working in the Netherlands. Born in Athens, Greece, he started playing the guitar at a young age and grew up active in the underground metal and alternative music scene of Athens, while at the same time studying classical guitar, theory and counterpoint. Soon after discovering jazz and improvisation he moved to the Netherlands to study jazz guitar in the conservatory of Rotterdam. Currently, he is making music with the abstract hip-hop duo Million Ear, the experimental electronic improvisational duo Bzaka and the Owlgod, and as a solo artist combining his stylistic influences with live electronics, abstraction, free improvisation and the avant-garde.

Rootless

“As you set out for Ithaka,

Hope your road is a long one..”

C.P. Kafavis

What happens to our roots when we take off for a journey to explore life, with our own guidelines, away from our established reality?

Do our roots stay buried and left behind or do we carry them with us all along the way? Do we lose our basis of stability or do we actually expand our roots while constantly moving? In ‘Rootless’ Claudia (flamenco dancer) and Ishtar (vocalist/composer) enter a dialogue through movement with influences from flamenco and sounds with elements from Indian classical music.

During this uprooted journey they investigate and experiment where different traditions meet and where roots expand. 

In choreographies and improvisations they interact and accompany each other in their exploration which expresses from subtle and sensitive to fierce and bold.

March - Café Theater Festival 2023

2nd - 5th Cafe Mevr. Dudok, Utrecht (see times here: Rootless at CTF Utrecht)

24th & 25th MOOD, Rotterdam (see times here: Rootless at CTF Rotterdam)

Note: No tickets or reservation needed due to the ‘Pay what you can Principle’ of CTF

Claudia Karapanou and Ishtar Bakhtali met at Batavierhuis. A place where creators based in Rotterdam can work on their projects and collectively organise concerts and events. In the video you see a small reportage about the collaboration and the Batavierhuis event ‘2to2Fest’ on which Claudia and Ishtar first performed their duo performance ‘Rootless.’

concert

walk

Listen with headphones to tree inspired music on the route in Heemraadspark, Rotterdam

Inspired by the many old trees at the Heemraadspark Ishtar Bakhtali filmed several trees and improvised together with saxophone player Loek van den Berg and cellist Flavia Escartin while seeing the visual recordings of these trees. From recordings of the various music improvisations Ishtar selected three and developed them into songs. These songs can be heard at the specific trees they were inspired by. When scanning a QR-code at the tree the visitor can listen to the music with their own headphones.

Passers-by and visitors are invited to observe the trees along the route and listen as if it were the trees giving the concert. This walk is encouraging visitors to experience the Heemraadspark in a different way through listening and looking at the trees from a different perspective.

Practical info

The signs with QR-codes were present on the following dates in September:

• Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th : 11:00 - sunset

• Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th: 11:00 - sunset

• Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th: 11:00 - sunset

Would you still like to experience the concert walk?

You can do so by using the map and by going to the page with the music inspired by the trees. Please take your own headphones with you to listen to the music via your phone. Listening without headphones can disturb other visitors of the park. You can start the walk at any tree. See map for locations.

Would you like to share your experience with us afterwards? What did you hear/see during your walk? 

We would love to know how you experienced the concert walk. From experiences of visitors we gather information. We will implement the shared stories in parts of a final indoor performance (date to be anounced). Share your thoughts, ideas (poems?) or stories of meetings along the route with us in the form below. If you’d like to receive an invitation to the final live-concert make sure to check that option in the form. You might recognise your own idea during the concert!

(NL)

Gratis interactieve concertwandeling. Luister met eigen headphones op de route in het Heemraadspark, Rotterdam

Op de Heemraadssingel staan vele oude bomen. Vocalist en componist Ishtar Bakhtali filmde verschillende bomen en improviseerde vervolgens samen met saxofonist Loek van den Berg en celliste Flavia Escartin bij het zien van deze beelden. Uit opnames van deze uiteenlopende improvisaties heeft Ishtar er drie geselecteerd en verder ontwikkeld. Deze zijn te horen bij de specifieke bomen waardoor ze zijn geïnspireerd. Door middel van een QR code bij de boom kan de bezoeker de muziek beluisteren met eigen koptelefoon en wordt zij/hij uitgenodigd om de bomen langs de route te observeren alsof zij het concert geven. Deze wandeling moedigt bezoekers aan om de Heemraadssingel op een andere manier te beleven door te luisteren en met nieuwe ogen naar de bomen op de route te kijken.

Praktische informatie

De bordjes met de QR-codes stonden bij de bomen in deze weekenden in September:

• Zaterdag 10 en zondag 11 September : 11:00 - zonsondergang

• Zaterdag 17 en zondag 18 September: 11:00 - zonsondergang

• Zaterdag 24 en zondag 25 September: 11:00 - zonsondergang

Wilt u de route alsnog lopen?

Dat kan door het kaartje te gebruiken en bij de vier bomen naar de nummers te luisteren. Neem uw eigen koptelefoon mee om te luisteren via uw telefoon. Graag vragen wij u om de muziek alleen via koptelefoon te beluisteren om andere park bezoekers niet te storen. Bedankt voor uw begrip! De wandeling kan u bij elke boom beginnen. De bomen staan op verschillende plekken in het Heemraadspark in Rotterdam-West zoals op het kaartje aangegeven.

Wilt u uw ervaring met ons delen? Wat heeft u gezien/gehoord tijdens uw wandeling? 

Wij zijn benieuwd naar uw ervaringen! We zullen een live concert geven waarin we verhalen/ gedachten en andere ervaringen van het publiek verwerken. Deel uw gedachten, idee (gedichten?) of toevallige ontmoetingen op de route met ons via het formulier hieronder. Als u dat wilt versturen wij een uitnodiging voor het live concert dat op een overdekte locatie zal plaatsvinden in Rotterdam (datum wordt bekent gemaakt). Wie weet herkent u iets van uzelf tijdens het concert!

In this videoclip the sisters Leila and Ishtar Bakhtali collaborate as they did previously in performances ‘HOME(SICK)’ and ‘Arriving’. The idea started out with a poem and developed into a song via loopstation. Check out the music page for the video!

‘Into The Light’ : Dance theatre performance uniting Sufi and Vedic dance and music.

Dance: Eshani Lasya & Smirna Kulenovic | Compositions & Vocals: Ishtar Bakhtali | Keys and electronics: T.L. Mazumdar

Minaminiguu

(Didge: Tiago Francisquinho Drums: Prashant Paradkar Vocals/Synth/Effects: Ishtar).