A Remembrance of Jamshied Sharifi 1960-2025
Jamshied Sharifi Photo J. Diliberto
Tonight on Echoes we remember Jamshied Sharifi. Jamshied was an explorer of world fusion, working with musicians from around the globe to create a new, 21st-century sound. He crossed traditions, mixing instruments from Mexico, Africa, and the Middle East in percussively melodic arrangements with his keyboards and electronic wind 
instrument. Born on October 17, 1960, in Topeka, Kansas, Jamshied was never destined to have typical Midwestern roots. His father was Iranian and exposed him to Middle Eastern music. While studies in classical music and jazz carried him in another direction, he returned to those sounds in the mid-1990s with the world fusion trio Mo Boma, alongside German guitarist Carsten Tiedemann and Icelandic bassist Skúli Sverrisson. They recorded four albums on the Extreme label, including the trilogy Myths of the Near Future.
He spent the next few years composing film scores including Harriet the Spy. In 1997, he returned with the brilliant album A Prayer for the Soul of Layla. That recording brought together singers from Africa, the Middle East, and the U.S., interwoven with intricate rhythms and electronic textures. Singers included Morocco’s Hassan Hakmoun, Iranian-American Mamak Khadem, and Marie Alfonso. It was Echoes Album of the Year in 1997.
More film scores followed, including Muppets from Space, Down to Earth, and Clockstoppers, and contributions to the scores of The Thomas Crown Affair and The Rugrats Movie.
His 2007 album, One was a journey proclaiming a world in unity, not war. It was a voyage of global poignancy and ecstasy, with singers including Paula Cole, Morocco’s Hassan Hakmoun, Tibetan vocalist Yungchen Lhamo, Iranian-born mystical singer Sussan Deyhim, and English-born ghazal singer Vishal Vaid. Koras, kotos, violas and more wove this transglobal journey.
One would be Jamshied’s last official solo album, but he went on to produce phenomenal recordings for artists including Mamak Khadem, Yungchen Lhamo, Mirabai Ceiba, Aukai, and Shunia.
He passed on August 15 after a battle with cancer. We remember him on tonight’s Echoes.
Read John Diliberto’s Tribute.