This year on Coke Studio, we have the pleasure of including a name that has become synonymous with Balochi music from the other side of the border– Meet Rostam Mirlashari. Born in Zahedan, Balochistan in Iran, Rostam found his inspiration to sing due to his parents – singing had become a tradition in the household that further led Rostam to discover and refine his passion. Not being able to see his passion materialize within his own country due to political tension, Rostam migrated to Sweden as a political refugee in 1991 and since then has made a name working endlessly towards establishing a platform for world music in Sweden.
To date, Rostam has mastered his skill in varied singing styles and scales. With further training at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Rostam moved on to establish Sweden based world music groups Golbang and Padik – both of which have released several acclaimed albums.
‘Fusion for me is meeting between the different styles and music traditions. Music has so many things that are similar so we find many things that we can talk about in the same way. This project shows me how important it is to meet and to create something new. I have a lot of respect for Pakistani artists. I have learnt many things and I hope that I can teach something from my music tradition as well.’
Quoted to have one of Sweden’s most beautiful voices, this Season Rostam Mirlashari brings to us our roots in Iran with Balochi traditional songs that connect both sides of the border.
Watch artist profile below:
