Niyaz

{{Short description|Iranian-Canadian musical duo}}

{{other uses}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Niyaz

| image = Azam Ali 2007.jpg

| caption = : Azam Ali at Cafe du Nord, San Francisco. March 11, 2007.

| image_size =

| background = group_or_band

| alias =

| origin = Los Angeles, United States
Montreal, Canada
Iran

| genre = World music
Folk music
Electronica
Sufi

| years_active = 2005–present

| label = Six Degrees Records

| associated_acts =

| website = {{URL|http://www.niyazmusic.com/}}

| current_members = Azam Ali
Loga Ramin Torkian
Habib Meftah Boushehri

| past_members = Carmen Rizzo

}}

Niyaz ({{langx|fa|نياز}}) is an Iranian Canadian musical duo. The group was created in 2004{{cite web|title=Carmen Rizzo retires from Niyaz|url=https://www.facebook.com/Carmen.Rizzo.Music/posts/10151642568785768|accessdate=2013-06-18|quote=After 3 wonderful albums and touring around the world many times with the band I co-founded in 2004 with Azam Ali & Loga Ramin Torkian, I have decided to retire from the Niyaz.}} by DJ, programmer/producer and remixer Carmen Rizzo, vocalist and hammered dulcimer player Azam Ali, formerly of the group Vas, and Ali's husband, Loga Ramin Torkian, of the Iranian crossover group Axiom Of Choice.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95607779|title=Niyaz: From Iran To India To Los Angeles}} In 2013, Carmen Rizzo announced via Facebook that he was retiring from Niyaz. "Niyaz" means "yearning" in Persian, Urdu{{cite web|title=Niyaz: self-titled|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/niyaz-st2005}} and Turkish.

Niyaz's music, described as "mystical music with a modern edge",{{cite web | title = NIYAZ – World music | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/29/PK1R116QTI.DTL | last = Curiel | first = Jonathan | publisher = San Francisco Chronicle | date = 2008-06-29 | accessdate = 2009-02-20 }} is primarily a blend of Sufi mysticism and trance electronica.{{cite web | url = http://www.niyazmusic.com/ | title = Niyaz official site | publisher = niyazmusic.com | accessdate = 2009-02-20 }} Niyaz adapts Persian, Indian and Mediterranean folk sounds, poetry and songs including the poetry of Sufi mystic Rumi, with Western electronic instrumentation and programming.{{cite web|title=Niyaz Bio|url=http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/niyaz_26516/en_US|access-date=2011-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102222418/http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/niyaz_26516/en_US|archive-date=2011-01-02|url-status=dead}}

Their self-titled debut album, released in 2005, combined 13th century Sufi and Urdu poetry with "swirling, hypnotic beats". Their 2008 follow-up album, Nine Heavens, featured two discs; the second disc contained acoustic renditions of the tracks on the first disc.

Their third album, Sumud (صمود), released in spring 2012.{{cite web|title=News|url=http://www.niyazmusic.com/}} A companion piece to the album, an acoustic EP with six songs, was released 19 March 2013.