Azam Ali Bio
Azam was born in Iran but grew up in India from the age of four, absorbing its music and culture for 11 years. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother in 1985. Shortly thereafter, Azam began playing the santour (an instrument similar to hammered dulcimer), studying for five years with Persian master Manoocher Sadeghi. Her musical endeavors inevitably led to the re-discovery of her voice. Her singing not only liberated her creatively, but also connected Azam to her purest form of expression. She knew she found a way to blend her inherent love of Eastern music with her growing passion for early music, particularly that of Hildegard Von Bingen. Her vocal influences range from Indian and Persian singers Laxmi Shankar, Asha Bhosle, and Sima Bina, to Lebanese singer Marie Keyrouz and early music singer Emily Van Evera. Her writing style was naturally influenced by the Persian folk songs, Indian ghazals and bhajans she heard growing up. Originally composing songs around her own poetry, lyrics were too confining for Azam. She began singing phonetically, to use her voice more as an instrument. Simple phrases gradually gave way to more complex verses, which finally evolved into the intricate language of expression she uses with VAS.
Greg grew up in Los Gatos, California. He began playing the drums at age 13 and is completely self-taught. He studied classical percussion at San Jose State University, but felt stifled by the rudimentary approach to percussion. He decided to focus on his drum set, and moved to Los Angeles in 1984. He quickly found work and began a career touring and recording with such artists as David & David, Mark Curry, and Steve Stevens. He eventually set up his own studio and began composing and producing not only his own material, but music for various film and television projects as well. He also shifted his focus to percussion once again; but this time to the percussion of India, the Middle East, and Africa. He became obsessed with collecting percussion instruments from all over the world, and loved the way drums from different cultures sounded when recorded together.
Greg also discovered how important it was to record these instruments in real time, meaning no looping or sequencing. He realized that was the only way to tap into the devotional spirit of music that so many of his influences were aware of. Artists ranging from Miles Davis and John Coltrane to the inspiration he was now deriving from ethnic rhythms and Indian musicians Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussain.
It was in November 1995, when Greg and Azam happened to meet at a concert of the Master Musicians of Jajouka at UCLA. At a party afterwards, Greg heard Azam sing for the first time. He was galvanized. It was instant recognition. They began creating music together the very next day and VAS was born. Within a year they signed a deal with Narada Records and have since released three CD’s: ‘Sunyata’ in 1997, ‘Offerings’ in 1998, and ‘In the Garden of Souls’ in 2000.