A reader writes:
The Iranian trio Niyaz blends traditional Persian music with a modern electronica sound. Azam Ali, Carmen Rizzo, and Loga Ramin Torkian are very cool ambassadors of their culture, IMHO. This performance is one of my favorites, filmed a couple of years ago in LA.
The lead singer, Azam Ali, is a great artist in her own right. She has been a featured vocalist in many film scores in recent years, notably "300" and "Matrix Revolutions". (Also see her earlier work as half of the group Vas, with whom she made 4 albums.) I don't know how popular Niyaz or Azam Ali are in Iran, but their music is absolutely superb - not to mention sensual, even erotic - and I'm a fairly picky classical musician working for the Catholic Church.
The above performance starts slow but builds beautifully. Also, here's a taste of the 300 soundtrack: