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In the first episode, Khyam Allami looks at Classical Arabic music, and key figures at the heart of Arabic music since the mid-20th century.

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In this episode Arthur Savile attends the "Iran: 30 Years On" conference, held at SOAS, and interviews Prof. Azadeh Kian and Tanya Lawrence about their perspectives on the role of women in Iranian society today.

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In this episode Arthur Savile explore Persian Cuisine and what are its defining characteristics, in what ways has it influenced the cuisine of nearby regions and where to a get good Chelo Kabab in London. Arthur interviews Sally Butcher, author of Persia in Peckham, about her experiences of Persian cooking and the philosophy behind it.

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The Hare Krishna movement originates in Bengal; which explains the predominance of Bengali in literature and music, but to many ISKCON devotees and many Hindus/Vaisnavas around the world, the most recognizable bhajans (devotional songs) are in Braj Bhasa, a dialect of Hindi that was popular in devotional writings in Medieval India. Braj Bhasa is particularly important for devotees of Lord Krishna because of its identification to the land of Braja, the sacred home of Krishna.

In this episode, we listen to some Braj Bhasa bhajans to explore the pastimes of Lord Krishna and the culture of North Indian Vaisnavas.

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In this episode Arthur Savile examines the legacy of Shah 'Abbas and the Safavid dynasty, and its role in shaping Iran as a nation. He also interviews Sheila Canby, Curator of the Islamic Collections of the British Museum, about the Shah 'Abbas exhibition currently taking place there.

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In this podcast Arthur Savile discusses the themes that will be covered in this series, his passion for Iran.

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The Brahma Samhita is a religious text from India that was originally sung/recited by Lord Brahma, the creator of the material world. Lord Brahma emerged from a lotus which grew from the navel of Lord Vishnu who was resting on the cosmic ocean prior to the creation of the material universe. Lord Brahma being confused and unaware of his position in the Universe cried out to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Krishna, in His kindness, emanated these words into the mind of Lord Brahma, telling him about the universe and its complexities and the supremacy of Himself, Lord Krishna; as Brahmaji glorifies him: Govindam Adi-Purusham Tam Aham Bhajami (I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord). The entire text has not survived though; the 5th chapter was discovered in South India by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is non-different from Lord Krishna, about 500 years agoThis text his held sacred to the millions of Vaisnavas all over the world.

In this episode, we here the different versions of the Brahma Samhita (Bengali, chant, South Indian, classical, and contemporary) and learn about its transcendental message for us all. Hare Krishna!

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Ann Wanjie plays music from Zimbabwean rhumba star Leonard Zhakata, the Comorian artist Maalesh, then is joined in the studio by Simon Amutjira, a musician from Namibia who discusses his latest album, his life in music, and his aim to promote Namibian culture within the UK.  More information about Simon Amutjira can be found here: http://www.hoadadi.com