
Born in Khorasan, in the heart of a popular tradition, Sima Bina started
her career on Iranian radio at the age of nine, under the direction
of her father, Ahmad Bina – a master of Iranian classical music
and poet who wrote many of her early songs.
She studied the repertoire of learned music “radif” and
singing technique with great masters such as Maaroufi and Zarrin Panjeh.
She went on to acquire her own solo programme, Golhaye Sahraii (Flowers
of the Desert), presenting a collection of folk songs and music from
various regions of Iran, which is still remembered today.
After graduating from Tehran University in 1969, majoring in Fine
Arts, Sima Bina contniued and perfected her knowledge of radif with
the highly subtle teaching of great Master Davami.
Since 1979, along with teaching Iranian classical music and vocality
to selected students, Sima Bina has focused on doing further research
on Persian folk songs, collecting, recording, writing and re-interpreting
popular regional music, especially from Khorasan, her native land.
By travelling to most remote places all over Khorasan, Sima has been
able to gather and revive a collection of almost forgotten songs and
melodies. She has thus gained a unique position in the history of
Persian music.
Since 1993, Sima Bina has been invited to present her collection of
Persian folk songs in festivals all over the world, including ´97
Världen I Norden in Norway, ´99 WDR Weltmusik Festival
in Bonn/Germany, and the forthcoming Raza Festival on Khorasan Music
in the Netherlands. Furthermore she was invited to perform on “emociona!!!
Mujer” in Spain in 2001, then also in Cologne/Germany on the
“World Music Night” and also on a Festival in Antwerpen/Netherlands
in the “Culturen Centrum”. And many many more.
Due to her devotion and dedication to the Iranian folk music, Sima
Bina can now see the materialization of thirty years of meticulous
work by making her music known worldwide.
|