The Goethe-Institut Irland is set to host two concerts, featuring music and poetry performed by brothers Shahab and Shayan Coohe, Yasmin Rahaei and Berlin-based singer/songwriter Emileo this month. The concerts will feature bespoke visuals by artist Néstor Romero Clemente.

'Over Land and Sea' is inspired by the work of Persian poet Hafez and the German poet Goethe. These evenings will hopefully bring artists and cultures together, breathing life into their work through music.

In his lifetime, Goethe was deeply inspired by 14th century poet Hafez’s work, so much so that he wrote a collection of poetry titled the West-Eastern Diwan, with one book named the Book of Hafiz.

On November 21st, Shayan Coohe and Shahab Coohe will play an improvisation on Persian classical music. On November 22nd they will perform an improvisation on Persian contemporary classical music using their own approach.

Shahab Coohe.

Shahab Coohe, who started his music education at the Tehran School of Music and graduated from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin in BA Violin Performance, said that he was thrilled to perform with Shayan.

"Shayan and I are very much looking forward to be on stage again to explore the art of improvisation which is highly influenced by poetry," he said. "Music is one of the most direct and pure ways of connecting people in such a spiritual and mystical way."

The pair have been performing concerts based on Persian classical music and contemporary music together for the last 20 years. Their folk band Navá, with folk/bluegrass musicians Paddy Kiernan and Niall Hughes, has recently been nominated at the RTÈ Radio 1 Folk Awards.

Shayan Coohe.

On the two nights, seating and standing room will be available on a first-come first-serve basis, and snacks and drinks can be purchased from the Camerino Bakery Café in the Goethe-Institut Irland.

Yasmin Rahaei will recite poems by Hafez, while Emileo will be performing some of her own songs as well as musical interpretations of poems by Goethe on both nights.

Emily Radke, aka Emileo, was born in Berlin in 2000 before to Spain at 16, later heading south to the romantic, mystical terrain of Morocco. Emileo was named winner of the inaugural Sinead O'Connor BA Commercial Modern Music Scholarship in the BIMM Institute, Dublin in 2020, where she currently lives and writes.

Emileo studied piano at six years of age, drummed in a jazz band at 12, became a lead singer/guitarist in a pop duo by 14 and is now lyrically proficient in five languages. The artist delivers a remarkable kaleidoscope of sounds and imagery that soars with individuality and heart. Her music is firmly rooted in those sun-kissed, travelled cultures but is also informed by the glacial textures of her Germanic origins.

The musician recently completed a short course in Classical Indian Vocal Singing in Jaipur, India which will presumably seep into Emileo’s musical palette over the coming months.

There will be seating and standing room available, on a first come first served basis. Snacks and drinks can be bought at Camerino Bakery Café in the basement of the Goethe-Institut Irland. For more information, visit the organisation's website here.

Tickets: Regular €19 / Student €16
Doors: 7PM / Start: 7:30PM