German-Afghan Simin Tander, an internationally renowned singer and composer, is known for her expressive and emotionally charged vocals. She received the German Record Critics’ Award in 2016 for her ECM album along with pianist Tord Gustavsen. And she was nominated for the German Jazz Award 2024 in the “Vocals” category.
Tander has a unique ability to touch the audience deeply – with her powerful yet fragile sound, a distinctive approach to vocal improvisation and expressive songwriting.
In 2025, she released her new album THE WIND (on Jazzland Recordings) – a captivating meeting between melodic, modern jazz, pop-like melodies on the borderland between acoustic and electronic music, and deep, ambient folk music, with a unique and international line-up. The album draws inspiration from the folk music and poetry of Afghanistan, Spain, Italy, England and Norway. The title The Wind symbolizes the fusion of contrasts – gentle breezes and storms – and evokes associations of transformation, freedom and unity.
The album has received rave reviews internationally, including in The Guardian, Financial Times, All About Jazz (USA) where it was named one of the “8 Best Jazz Albums of 2025”, as well as in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as well as an enthusiastic reception from the audience during the release tour earlier this year.
Over the past 20 years, Simin has performed on some of the world’s leading jazz stages, both with her own projects and in exciting interdisciplinary collaborations, including with Jan Bang, Michel Godard, Nils Petter Molvær, as well as on international film soundtracks and in performances for UNESCO and UN Women.
The Wind offers collaborations with some of Europe’s most exciting musicians – ECM artist and Swedish bassist Björn Meyer, ECM artist and Swiss drummer Samuel Rohrer, and Norwegian Indian violinist Harpreet Bansal. Together, the quartet weaves a rich, global musical tapestry, influenced by Tander’s Afghan roots and multicultural background, creating an ethereal yet down-to-earth soundscape.
“Magical and captivating” (WRITTEN IN MUSIC, NL, about the release concert April ’25)
Simin Tander – on vocal
Björn Meyer – on bass
Samuel Rohrer – on drums
Harpreet Bansal – on violin
Photo: Dovile Sermokas
Time and place:
Stavangeren, Wednesday 6 May at 21:00 hrs.