The Wind Simin Tander

• 1 Meena 05:26
• 2 Woken Dream 05:01
• 3 I Te Vurria Vasà 02:57
• 4 The Wind Within Her 03:25
• 5 Janana Sta Yama 03:43
• 6 Ay Linda Amiga 01:47
• 7 Nursling of the Sky 03:27
• 8 Jongarra 04:09
• 9 Interlude - I Te Vurria Vasà Glow 01:39
• 10 Side Caught 04:48
• 11 My Weary Heart 06:18
• 12 Outro - The Wind 02:34
• Total Runtime 45:14

Info for The Wind

German Afghan, internationally celebrated singer and composer Simin Tander, known for her expressive and emotionally evocative voice, received the Annual German Record Critics‘ Award in 2016 for her ECM album with pianist Tord Gustavsen. Recently nominated for the German Jazz Prize 2024 in the „Vocal“ category, Tander continues to captivate audiences with her powerful yet delicate timbre.

Her new album, The Wind, released by Norwegian Jazzland Recordings, features collaborations with Swedish bassist and ECM recording artist Björn Meyer, Swiss drummer and ECM recording artist Samuel Rohrer, and Oslo-based Indian violinist Harpreet Bansal. Together, the quartet weaves a rich, global musical tapestry influenced by Tander’s Afghan heritage (via her father) and multicultural upbringing, creating an ethereal yet grounded soundscape.

To bring her sonic vision to life, Tander partnered with two-time Grammy nominee Joshua Valleau, who mixed the album in New York, and Grammy winner Daddy Key, who completed its masterful finishing touches in Los Angeles. Drawing on the folklore and poetry of Afghanistan, Spain, Italy, England, and Norway, the album’s title, The Wind, symbolizes the merging of contrasts—gentle breezes and storms alike—while evoking transformation, freedom, and unity.

The Wind represents both a continuation and evolution of Tander’s artistic journey. It balances a spectrum of dynamics and moods, from soft, flowing harmonies to energetic, danceable rhythms, all unified by themes of devotion and longing. Tander’s unmistakable voice effortlessly transitions from dark and tender to playful and bold in 5 different languages, while Meyer’s resonant basslines, Rohrer’s intricate grooves, and Bansal’s raga- inspired violin lines add layers of texture and emotion.

Simin Tander ́s The Wind is a masterpiece embodying the timeless and unifying power of wind, an element that transcends boundaries, connecting cultures and eras in a seamless, magical flow.

Simin Tander, vocals, composition
Harpreet Bansal, violin
Björn Meyer, bass, effects
Samuel Rohrer, drums, percussion, electronics

Simin Tender
“It is a journey – to myself, through the world of my emotions and thoughts and to my Afghan roots”, explains Simin Tander. Where Water Travels Home does not show us a conventional road movie: imaginative and labyrinthine, and therefore all the more compelling for the listener, are the sound routes which this water takes, and rather than the compass of the mind it follows the path of the heart.

“Where water travels home” – this is no abstract image. For the daughter of an Afghan journalist/poet and a German teacher, it rather means the actually experienced search for her identity. As a mature singer, she is now posing the question of the where from and where to in her second CD, which turns out to be a masterpiece of song-writing with an improvisational touch. Simin Tander and her marvellous quartet build dramatic tension over the course of 13 stations, traversing past and present in a free-flowing dramaturgy.

In the past few years Simin has become one of the rising stars of the Dutch and German jazz scene. Her performances at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the BIMHUIS, the prestigious Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Jazzmeeting, Women In Jazz Fesitval /Halle, JAZZAHEAD /Bremen and her concerts with Dutch Jazz star Eric Vloeimans have received rave reviews.

Beside the Netherlands and Germany Simin is developing an internationally recognized reputation with performances at the Bohemia Jazz Fest (Czech Republic), Catania Jazz Festival (Italy), Madrid Jazz Festival (Spain), OCT LOFT Festival (China), Hong Kong Jazz Festival, the Jarasum Jazzfestival (South Korea) and many more.

Her name is Persian and a beautiful promise for her future: “silvery shining”.

This album contains no booklet.