Stripped down and unfiltered: Sariyah Idan’s “Live in Berlin, Vol. 1” album
Sariyah Idan by Michi Hartmann
From the very first chord, “Live in Berlin, Vol. 1” presents itself as more than just a live album. It is, rather, a statement of principles. In this new project, Sariyah Idan’s sweet yet powerful voice transforms the stage into an intimate space where guitars and foot percussion effectively convey emotion, presence, and risk.
The album grows out of two environments that shaped the project at different stages. Berlin offers a focused setting where the performance can be captured with a listening audience and a trusted engineer. New Orleans, especially Royal Street in the French Quarter, provides years of solo playing for strangers, tourists stopping out of curiosity, and locals carrying a deep collective memory. The album takes its vitality from this mixture of attention and spontaneity.
“Live in Berlin, Vol. 1” is Idan’s first fully live, fully solo project. Everything happens in a single take, without corrections. Here, the artist draws on her theatrical background to build each set as a narrative arc, presenting the songs not as isolated pieces but as emotional journeys that move forward, breathe, and transform. The result is a raw yet carefully considered recording, where even silences and brief exchanges with the audience serve a purpose.
Sariyah Idan Live In Berlin concert photos by Michi Hartmann
Volume 1 revolves around love, though not from an idealized romantic place. These are songs that move between hope and melancholy, including reinterpretations of references such as Leonard Cohen and Billie Holiday. Sariyah alternates original songs and covers, using a nylon-string acoustic guitar and a custom electric guitar built by Michi Hartmann. There are moments of celebrating life, reflections on social tragedies, and a recurring question about how to keep believing in love without ignoring the darkness that surrounds it.
A second volume is on the way and turns its attention toward light in both personal and collective terms, along with the shadows that surround it. It opens with “Sun Is Shining” and eventually reaches “Shine,” linking influences from reggae history with Sariyah’s own work. The set relies only on acoustic guitar and voice while touching on global turbulence and the quieter task of learning how to care for oneself.
As a whole, “Live in Berlin, Vol. 1” does not aim to impress through technical virtuosity but through emotional coherence. It is an album that demands attentive listening and rewards it with genuine connection. Sariyah Idan captures the rare sensation of being present at the exact instant the music comes to life. An honest testament to how art, when born on the street and lifted onto the stage, can continue to be a real bridge between strangers.
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