DeutschIncense of Music 64
Donavazi Project
A multisensory concert – Friday, 13 June 2025, 8 pm
Mazyar Younesi: piano, voice
Rouzbeh Fadavi: drums
Incense: Boswellia
PANDA Platforma in der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin
Join us for an immersive evening where sound and scent merge into a unique artistic journey. The Donavazi Project from Iran brings a contemporary approach to Persian musical traditions, weaving intricate piano and drum compositions that transcend time and place. This special concert will be enhanced by the ancient aroma of Boswellia incense, creating a deep sensory connection between music, space, and perception.
This event is not recommended for people who are sensitive to smoke.
The Donavazi Project
The Donavazi Project was established in 2021 by Mazyar Younesi, a pianist, and Rouzbeh Fadavi, a drummer. The project travels over the melody, structure, and various motifs of Iranian music using the piano and drums. These instruments have a broad sonic range and versatile coloring capabilities, allowing for a new approach to performing and interpreting Iranian music.
Chahargahi
In the Radif music of Iran, each Dastgah and Avaz is characterized by features that convey a unique atmosphere and ambiance to the listener. The Dastgah-e Chahargah comprises four main "Gāhs" or maqams: Daramad, Hesār, Zābol, and Mokhālef. The album "Chahargahi" is a collection of personal interpretations of the Dastgah-e Chahargah, following the principles of Iranian chamber music while expanding the emotional dimensions of Chahargah.
Artists
Mazyar Younesi — piano, voice
Mazyar Younesi is an Iranian pianist, composer, conductor, and singer. He began his musical journey by learning the tombak and later taught himself the setar, studying the Radif of Iranian music. He chose piano as his primary instrument and completed his M.A. in composition at the University of Tehran. Since 2008, Mazyar Younesi has been involved with the Austrian Cultural Forum, and has served as artistic director and conductor of the Iran-Austria Symphony Orchestra (AISO) since 2014. He composes music for numerous films, series, and animations.
Rouzbeh Fadavi — drums
Rouzbeh Fadavi, composer, rhythm designer, and drummer, began his musical journey at 17 with the guitar but ultimately chose the drums as his primary instrument. He graduated in architecture and has participated in numerous projects as a composer and drummer, including Diminished Quartet, Tenor Trio, and Zaffron Collective. He has also composed music for theater and participated in various international music festivals.
Roshanak Rafani — guest, percussion (Daf, Tombak)
Roshanak Rafani, born 1994 in Iran, is a multi-dimensional Berlin-based percussionist. Her diverse background in both Iranian and classical music has enabled her to transcend conventional genre boundaries. Specializing in instruments such as Daf and Tombak, she has showcased her talents internationally, including with the Mahbanoo Ensemble. A graduate of percussion performance from the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, she has extensive experience performing with orchestras such as the Austro-Iranian Symphony Orchestra (AISO), Junge Philharmonie Berlin, and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim.
Incense
Frankincense, also known as olibanum, is the aromatic resin of trees in the genus Boswellia — small, deciduous trees that grow in the arid, rocky regions of the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, particularly Oman, Yemen, and Somalia. The resin is harvested through deliberate incisions in the bark; the milky sap that seeps out hardens in the air into glassy, yellowish-brown tears.
Frankincense is one of humanity's oldest trade goods, carried for millennia along the legendary Incense Route from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean. It was used in ancient Egypt for temple rites and embalming, is named in the Bible as one of the three gifts brought by the Magi to the infant Jesus, and remains central to Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu ceremony today — a scent that has been equated with rising prayer for thousands of years.
Burned, frankincense releases a rich, earthy aroma with citrusy and spicy nuances. It is still believed to have calming, meditation-enhancing properties, valued as much in mindfulness and meditation practice today as it has long been in traditional religious ceremony.