Azam Ali

Azam Ali (originally Azam Aliafgerad) is a singer of Iranian origin who grew up in India but has been based in Los Angeles for most of her professional life. Her musical output has been somewhat irregular: She was especially active in the '00s between her bands Vas and Niyaz and her solo work, got sporadic in the '10s, but seems to have picked up the pace recently. Her music is a hybrid between various Middle Eastern traditions (Turkish, Iranian) and electronic ambient music. It is typically dark, moody, and cinematic, and at times, flows like some of the later work of Dead Can Dance. Whether she brings in a synth or a GuitarViol to provide texture, or has acoustic instruments such as an oud or a ney as leads, the centerpiece of her music is invariably her exceptionally smooth, gorgeous, and expressive voice, which allows her to communicate a depth of emotions whether she is singing in Persian, English, or French.