The Bagpipe Society

In the Bag: Liana Sharifian

Liana Sharifian is a professional player and teacher of the Iranian bagpipe, the Ney Anban. From the age of 16 she studied with her father, the acclaimed piper Mohsen Sharifian. In a country where there remain stringent restrictions on playing music and dancing, she has distinguished herself by becoming the first documented woman player of the Ney Anban. Passionate about all the bagpipes of the world, she obtained a diploma in Galician Gaita from the school in Ourense. She has appeared on numerous recordings, both as a vocalist and a piper, and has her own YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/LianaSharifian/

What bagpipes do you play?

Ney Anban [bagpipe in the Tsambouna family from the south of Iran, made from a whole goat skin, with single-reeded double chanter and no drone]. There is an unproven reference to the instrument in a 6th century BC document; another more reliable statue dates it to 8BC: either way it is ancient. Its range is even less than one octave. We learn to play it by heart, just by listening, by watching. Some years ago, my father wrote a book with notes, so now people who would like to learn bagpipes can use the book, even if it is a bit harder. I teach using the book.

I also play Galician Gaita.

Do you play any other instruments?

Pandeireta (tambourine), voice, oud, and piano sometimes, though I never tell that to people as I’m not so good. I just play for myself.

What led you to take up piping?

The reason that I play bagpipes is because of my father. He is a bagpiper and I learned from him to be the first woman in Iran that plays the bagpipes.

Which pipers do you most admire?

I admire my father, I adore him! And I never thought that one day I could play like him. It’s like a magic, how he’s playing. I also really admire my professor in Galicia, Marco Foxo.

Name three, non-piping-related musical influences

Maybe you won’t know them because they are from Iran, but here they are legends! Kamancheh player, Kayhan Kalhor, tar player, Hossein Alizadeh, and traditional singer, Mohmmad reza Shajarian, though sadly he died two years ago.

What three albums are top of your playlist right now?

I usually listen to bandari kind of music [a traditional form of music and dance from southern Iran], that is related to the bagpipes. I listen to every bandari album. The latest album that I listen to a lot is my father’s last album, that was released three months ago. It is on SoundCloud too, and is called Louka.

If you had your life again, what instrument would you play?

If I was born again in this same family then bagpipes! But the one that I didn’t practice when I was a child, and I regret it, I think about it, is piano. I always went to piano classes but I didn’t like music at all and I didn’t practice. I was 16 when I started learning the bagpipes and it is too late, I think, so I wish I could play piano and that now I was a piano player too.

Name your favourite music festival.

I really love to attend festivals of bagpipes, because I really love the bagpipe family, I love every one of them. I want to swim between them, be with them, learn from them. So bagpipe festivals are my favourite kind, but I don’t know the names! I know there’s a lot in Scotland; in Ireland, Armagh, because I was invited once. Also in Spain, there’s lots of festivals. In Iran we had a bagpipe festival that my father prepared one year ago, for the first time. And besides bagpipe festivals I heard about a Celtic festival, where you have to play Celtic music to attend, but I’d love to go. And the last one, Coachella in America: that’s dreamy but you have to be a celebrity or singer.

What are the most memorable gigs you’ve been to (involving pipes or not)?

You mean a funny story? I don’t have a funny story, just nice moments with bands that I loved, Real Banda la Gaita, in Spain, and Lian band in Iran. When we went to travel we made lots of funny memories but nothing special to share here.

What three words describe your piping style?

Cute (when I’m playing!). Traditional. Emotive (I don’t know if it’s the right word or not. I mean our music is so happy, full of dance. It’s not a military music.)

Bellows or mouth-blown?

Mouth-blown.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs.

Are there any bagpipes you dislike?

I really like all types of bagpipes. Each one I think is beautiful.

Do you prefer playing, dancing or both?

I like to play and dance. I like to do it, yes, but I can’t because in Iran it’s forbidden to dance. So when I’m playing in Iran I should stay and play without any little movements. If not, I can’t work here. When I’m going outside of Iran I move a bit. But not too much because I’m going back to my country. I don’t know if you understand this or not.

Cane or plastic reeds?

Cane reeds.

What’s your greatest musical achievement?

When I was a student in High School, I achieved the first rank in music major in Iran. But also then I achieved a diploma in playing bagpipes, gaita. That was a nice moment. And some months ago, I went to France for a festival and they asked me to have a masterclass there for students at Dunkerque Conservatoire. I think it is the greatest achievement to introduce your culture to another culture, another country. For me it’s the most important.

What’s your most embarrassing bagpiping moment?

It happened just a few days ago, so I remember! Our chanter is cane, and inside that the reeds, if they get wet, they don’t make a sound. Suddenly they stop! I warmed up before I went onstage and when I wanted to play, in a live moment, my bagpipes stopped suddenly. And people, they didn’t understand that it’s because of that reason, a natural reason, that the reeds are just wet and they won’t make a sound for a second. They thought I didn’t know how to play or that I made a mistake, you know? An embarrassing moment!

What’s the most annoying question you get asked about the bagpipes?

Not any annoying question that I remember. But, for example, one of them that seems a bit silly to me is when people ask if playing bagpipes will hurt their teeth, or their eyes (because of the pressure).

What advice would you give a novice?

Be patient when learning the bagpipe. When the students first come they think it’s easy but they have to learn how to move their fingers. The control between blowing the bagpipe and pressing and also playing at the same time needs them to practice a lot and to be patient to catch it.

I love bagpipes because

..it’s my inheritance from my family. Everything that we have, everything that we do is because of this instrument. We are bagpipers so it is our life and I love it. One more thing, we don’t put it under the arm, we put it between the arms, between both hands, so I imagine him as my baby. I hug him with all my heart.