Additional Information
On March 20, the album Metamorphose by the trio consisting of Amir Amiri on santour, Sarah Pagé (from Land of Kush among others) on harp, and Shawn Mativetsky on tablas, is released on all platforms. Three instruments that, traditionally, shouldn’t really play together. Not only for historical and cultural reasons, but also technical ones: the santour is diatonic and is designed for Persian music, which heavily relies on quarter tones. And the harp, on the other hand, plays in equal temperament, the classical European style. Microtonality, it is not calibrated for that! The tablas themselves are quite versatile as percussion instruments, but their rhythmic possibilities can be largely underutilised outside the complexity of Hindustani musical constructions. And yet, the three artists, each at the peak of their craft, have managed to create an innovative dialogue, informed both by their respective roots and by their love of discovery and innovation. I met Amir Amiri and Sarah Pagé.
PanM360: Hello. How did the idea of playing together with these three instruments from different traditions come to you?
Amir Amiri: I was working with Barbara Scales from Latitude 45 Arts (a Montreal-based promotion company) and one day she said to me, “You should meet this guy, Shawn Mativetsky, he plays the tabla.” And then I was also hanging out a bit with Sarah in Land of Kush.
Sarah Pagé: Yes, indeed. We talked about our instruments, compared our tuning methods, exchanged all sorts of ideas. And then, I also knew Shawn, who plays everywhere! Finally, we said to ourselves, we should do something together.
Amir Amiri: At first, I had doubts. A santour and a harp? Really? But Sarah is so good. Finally, it works perfectly.
PanM360: How do you manage to coordinate your work? To write the compositions?
Amir Amiri: It’s a very collaborative, very collective work. The first time we met, I had a melody, Sarah quickly understood and formed the harmonic progression, and Shawn added all his ornamentations. We had the first piece, the first one on the album, Yaravan (which means together)!
Sarah Pagé: Each piece was written differently. For example, for Metamorphosis, I proposed a harmonic structure, Amir added a perfectly fitting melody, then Shawn suggested developing this melody by dropping a sixteenth note each time we restarted the cycle, which forced me to adapt the underlying harmonic progression, and Amir had to adjust his melody. We stimulated each other.
I think we were able to do this, and very quickly, because we are three experienced artists. Each one can say, “here’s what I can do, here’s what I can bring from here,” and so on. And Shawn’s role is exceptional. He is a tabla player. Tabla players are fantastic mathematicians. Shawn is capable of creating incredible formal structures very quickly. Amir and I have to quickly adapt our game so that it makes sense, but that’s what makes it exciting.
Amir Amiri: I have worked and acted in all kinds of projects, and all very good ones, but this one, I am particularly proud of. It’s a relationship that is not only equal but also very authentic. None of us three leaves anything behind to “fit” into the band. It’s as if we manage to merge effortlessly, remaining exactly who we are, and sharing what we find natural to share. And it creates an intuitive symbiosis.
PanM360: How do you manage to “tune” together instruments as different, in harmonic terms, as the santour and the harp?
Amir Amiri: I have a special santour. It can modulate. It’s a Vancouver maker that did it. Nevertheless, tuning with Sarah remains a challenge!
Sarah Pagé: Amir showed me how to calibrate so that I can tune my harp with microtonality. But it takes quite a bit of work. And adjustment. When you play quarter tones, the instrument starts to behave differently! That said, I often have to adapt because some pieces are written in equal temperament (Western classical). Finally, I have developed a playing technique that, in microtonality, treats the melodic line harmonically, and, with the incredible resonant quality of the harp (which does not exist in any other Arab or Persian instrument), it ends up giving something totally unique that sounds good! Ironically, when I play with Amir, he seems to be off, even though technically, it’s me who is out of tune! Haha.
Amir Amiri: What we are doing together is like nothing else on the international music scene, as far as I know.
PanM360: The fruits of true exploration…
Amir Amiri: Yes, and I think that living in Canada has something to do with it. Let me explain. I think that culture is partly defined by the geographical space in which it resides and unfolds. Here, there is so much space that you can feel this vastness. And in my case, I feel a great sense of freedom, and also the bravery to sit next to a harp and manage to create something beautiful and coherent.
Where I come from (culturally), everything comes from necessity or culture. The necessity is to make money. The culture is very defined. Here, you can feel an openness to exploration. And since there are so many great artists who think this way too, we go for it and let ourselves be carried away by inspiration and creativity.
I want to add how indispensable Sarah has been for the production side of the album. She brought all her experience and the people she knows in the industry, the best ones. I knew nothing about it!
Sarah Pagé: I thank the entire Montreal community, which is so rich in talent. I have played in a bunch of projects, in all sorts of formations, which means that at some point, I know quite a few people. For me, production has a lot to do with composition. In production, it is about choosing the part, or the gesture, that is most important for each moment. Like in painting: the painter tries, through strokes, gestures, colours, and materials, to control the viewer’s gaze, to force him/her to linger on one detail rather than another. It’s the same in production, and also in composition.
PanM360: What legacy do you want this album to leave, what effect on the audience?
Sarah Pagé: I hope it will stimulate the pleasure of curiosity in people. The pleasure of the diversity of experiences that communicate with each other.
Amir Amiri: Yes, curiosity. Also the principle of conversation. When conversation stops, problems begin. The three of us, traditionally, we shouldn’t play together. But we do it, and I think it works. It takes a lot of musical and professional maturity to achieve that. 15 years ago, I don’t think I would have been able to function as well in this collaboration. Now, yes. I think it was the right time, and that our musical conversation can be a positive metaphor. Not the kind of East-West, or grand concepts. Just individuals together. I saw Sarah, Sarah saw me, we saw Shawn, and we felt like talking to each other. And it results in something that, I hope, is inspiring.
I hope that people will perceive this reflection, that they will feel this testimony and also the fact that we can have one foot in tradition while looking towards the future. It’s a reflection on the place, artistic, mental, psychological, where we find ourselves at the moment. It’s a testament to Montreal, a city so fertile in creativity, a city that inspires conversation, collaboration, and the creation of culture.
And then I hope to be able to play in all the small underground clubs in Europe on a long tour. Lol.
PanM360: We wish you that!
The album will be released on all platforms on March 20, 2026.
Concert dates are being confirmed, including a launch in Montreal. Stay tuned.
