"Step into Shangri La’s enchanting Mughal Garden, where this live performance delves into the intricate themes of love, passion, and memory. With songs like “Si, See,” “Amore Mio,” “Came My Way,” and “Linwood,” each piece stirs emotions both familiar and elusive. Framed by the garden’s haunting beauty, listeners are invited to immerse themselves in the unspoken depths of the human heart."
*Songs Performed:*
00:00 Si, See | XYE
03:56 Amore Mio | XYE
06:44 Came My Way | ASADI & XYE
09:00 Linewood | ASADI
*About the Residency:*
In the spring of 2024, ASADI & XYE were invited to participate in the Residency program at Shangri La, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation. During the Residency, they recorded a series of live performances across Shangri La’s creative campus and fostered cross-cultural connections to Hawaiʻi’s rich history and vibrant music community.
*Subscribe and Follow the Residency:*
‪@hi_shangrila | @AsadiMusic | @itsxye
*About the Artists:*
*XYE* emerges as a pioneering figure at the nexus of music and fine art. A luminary in both domains, she seamlessly transitions from the canvas as a gifted still life painter to leaving an indelible mark on VR's most prominent Triple AAA games, from Stress Level Zero’s “BoneLab” to Ubisoft’s “The Rogue Prince Of Persia."
As a first-generation immigrant of Greek, Russian, and Armenian descent, her music and art reflect the rich tapestry of her heritage, weaving tales of grief, war, love, and the quest for meaning in life.
This summer, Xye embarked on her first world tour, spanning 25 cities, where she unveiled her highly anticipated solo debut album, "The Kingdom Of Xye" , a master fusion of genre-bending dark, classical, and electronic sounds. Fueled by a passion to inspire change, provoke thought, and amplify the boundless potential of women, Xye continues to redefine the landscape of music and fine art with what is possible if you dare to dream.
*ASADI* is a Persian-American Electronic Music Producer & Performance Artist from Columbus, Ohio. He is known for his rare Middle Eastern influence and impressive performance ability. In the studio, his knowledge in the land of Persian composition uniquely activates a sense of timelessness that the world can resonate with, and his instruments play a strong role in illustrating such emotion. They include the Persian Setar, Persian Tar, Persian Daf, and Italian Mandolin. He brings these delicate sounds to life when performed with his drum machine, in which he effortlessly triggers his entire rhythm section completely live on 16 electronic pads.
ASADI’s artistry derived from a lifetime passion in writing songs, first learning piano at the age of 5. In high school, his parents gifted him with a drum pad and some Persian instruments he never knew existed. This flipped a switch and birthed the 10 year voyage to who he is today. From his diligent hustle on social media, from a thousand hours of perfecting his craft live, and from the constant desire to create truly extraordinary music, a precious die-hard following has inevitably grown to represent the sound of ASADI Worldwide.
*About the Mughal Garden at Shangri La:*
The Mughal Garden replicates royal and public gardens throughout Southwest and South Asia. It is inspired by the Shalimar Gardens built in 1637 CE in Lahore, Pakistan, constructed during the reign of the Mughal Empire. Brickwork pathways with geometric patterns installed down the length of the water channel crisscross in the center, recreating a four-part landscape design frequent in Mughal botanical architecture (an element known as chahar bagh in Persian or "four gardens"). Parterre (planting beds) in alternating shapes in white stone host scented trees and colorful flowers. Hidden under the cascading waterfall feeding the channels is a display niche known as a chinikhana (Persian for "porcelain house"), a common decorative motif in Persian and Mughal architecture.