In Kurdish, 'Hawniyaz' means something like: “Everybody needs everybody else, each of us is there for the other.” The name is thus a perfect fit for the four extraordinary musicians of this ensemble, who came together, somewhat by chance, at the Morgenland Festival in Osnabrück: the Iranian 3-time Grammy-nominated virtuoso of the kamancheh (spike fiddle), Kayhan Kalhor, had played with leading Turkish Kurd singer Aynur in Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. They are joined by tanbur (lute) player Cemil Qocgiri, a German-born Kurd, and the noted Azerbaijani classical/jazz pianist Salman Gambarov. By marrying their sensibilities, and each member’s personal sound, they have created a universe which unites the Kurdish and Persian music traditions, with just a touch of the West. This magical osmosis reminds us how enriching the influence of migrating peoples can be for all the world’s cultures.