The López-Petrakis-Chemirani Trio (Éfren López, Stelios Petrakis, Bijane Chemirani) is a musical encounter of three young musicians who compose and perform their proper music, baring the influences of various musical styles of the Mediterranean region. Stelio Petrakis is a young composer and virtuoso lyra and lute plater coming from the island of Crete, Greece, and was always interested in the musical dialogue between musicians coming from different musical genres; Éfren López is a multi-instrumentalist (hurdy-gurdy, rabab, oud, fretless guitar, kopuz, rabab) and composer, coming from Valencia, Spain and has travelled and studied for years various musical idioms of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Afghanistan region, is also the founder and director of the Valencian group L’han de foc; Bijan Chemirani is a zarb, daff, bendir plater, who was taught the secrets of his art from the Master of the Iranian Zarb Djamshid Chemirani, his father. Living in Marseille, France, he has a huge experience sharing his art for years with many musicians from different styles.
This project is based on the musical and personal relationship of three musicians who have many things in common in their way of considering music, styles and creation. Their instruments, originating from various traditional music styles, influence the Trio’s creation and their music bares influences from the Cretan, Iranian, Turkish, Armenian, Azerbaijanian. Afghanistan, Spanish, French and even early and ancient music.
The Trio released their first album titled ‘Mavra Froudia’ (in Greek meaning ‘black eyebrows’) in 2011. In 2017, their second album ‘TAOS’ was released by Buda Music, France.
Éfren LÓPEZ – Cretan lute, daf, oud
Stelio PETRAKIS – Cretan lyra and lute
Bijan CHEMIRANI – Zarb, daf, bendir, doira, riq
