The
music of Iran has thousands of years of history,
as seen in the archeological documents of Elam
, one of the
earliest world culture, which was located in southwestern Iran
.
A
distinction needs to be made between the science of Music or
Musicology which as a branch of mathematics has always been held in
high regards in Persia/Iran; as opposed
to Music performance, (Tarab, Navakhteh, Tasneef, Taraneh or more
recently Muzik) which has had an uneasy and often acrimonious
relationship with the religious authorities and, in times of
religious revival, with society as a whole.
The history of music construction in Iranian culture
The
ambivalence of Persian culture towards music may be seen in the
context of what Darius Shayan has termed cultural schizophrenia:
the contradictory nature of the two sources of Persian culture, ancient Persia
and Islam.
In ancient Persia musicians held socially respectable positions. We
know that the
Elamites and the
Achemenians certainly made use of musicians but
we do not know what that music was like. During the Parthian era,
troubadours or Gosans were highly sought after as entertainers.
There are theories in Academia that perhaps the early
Dari Poets of Eastern Iran like
Roudaki were in fact Gosans.
The history of musical performance
in
Sassanid Iran is however better documented than earlier
periods. This is specially more evident in the context of
Zoroastrian ritual. iv. First millennium C.E. (1) Sasanian music,
224-651. By the time of Xusro parviz, the Sassanid royal court was
the host of prominent musicians such as Ramtin,
Bamshad,
Nakisa, Azad,
Sarkash, and
Barbad.
Among these survived names, Barbad is remembered in much documents
and has been named as remarkably high skilled. He has been credited
to have given an organisation of musical system consisting of seven
"Royal modes" named
Xosrovani, thirty derivated modes
named
lahn, and 360 melodies named
dastan. These
numbers are in accordance with Sassanid's
calendar of number of days in a week,
month, and year. The theories based on which these modal system was
based are not known, however the writers of later period have left
a list of these modes and melodies. These names include some of
epic forms such as
kin-e Iraj (
lit. the Vengeance
of Iraj),
kin-e siavash (
lit. the Vengeance of
Siavash), and
Taxt-e Ardashir (
lit. the Throne of
Ardashir) and some connected with the glories of Sassanid royal
court such as
Bagh-e shirin (
lit the garden of
Shirin),
Bagh-e Shahryar (
lit. the Sovereign's
Garden), and
haft Ganj (
lit. the seven
threasures). There are also some of a descriptive nature like
roshan cheragh (
lit. bright lights).
In general
the period of Xosroparvis reign is
regarded as an "golden age of Iranian music" and himself is shown
in a large relief at Taq-e
Bostan
among his musicians and himself holding bow and
arrows and while standing in a boat amidst a group of
harpists. The relief depicts two boats and the whole picture
shows these boats at "two successive moments within the same
panel".
Barbad may have invented the
lute and the
musical tradition that was to transform into the Maqam tradition
and eventually the Dastgah music.
Even after
Islam Persian Musicians did not disappear: Zaryab is often credited with being the greatest
influence over Andalusian
and Spanish music. [49482] Farabi and
Avicenna were not only musical theorist but adept
at the lute and the Ney respectively. However, late Medieval and
modern Islam viewed music with suspicion.
Traditional Hierarchies of Authenticity and Value
The position of a particular work of music often depends on the
music genre and its relationship to music theory. The academic
Persian Classical Tradition
(
Musiq-i-Asil) is strongly based on the theories of sonic
aesthetics as expounded by the likes of Farabi and Shirazi in the
early centuries of Islam. It also preserves melodic formula that
are often attributed to the musicians of the Persian imperial court
of
Khosroe Parviz in the
Sassanid Period.
Dastgah is
the music of those who have a greater share of, or affect to be in
possession of, refined taste and high culture and as such, in spite
of its present popularity, has always been the preserve of the
elite. However, the influence of Dastgah can not be underestimated
as it is seen as the reservoir of authenticity that other forms of
musical genres derive melodic and performance ideas and
inspiration.
Other genres of respectable music were those which were perhaps not
as soundly based in abstract theory but from a utilitarian point of
view were seen as useful. To this group belongs the martial music
of Persia (Musiqi Razmi) whose roots go back to the
Parthian era, as attested by Roman sources.
This form of music has now been almost completely replaced by
European forms ever since the modernization of the armed forces.
This type of music with large
drums,
brass and
reed instruments was
used not only at war but also in official and solemn occasions. The
Naqareh Khaneh or the house of drum, the chief exponent of this
type of music survived into the
Qajar
Period but by this time much of the expertise, fostered during
the Safavid era, had disappeared. The only trace of this form of
music in a much simplified form is the music of the
Zurkhaneh, the traditional martial arts of Iran,
where the exercises of champions (
Pahlavan,
literally Parthians) is regulated by a drummer / vocalist known as
the
Murshid.
Religious music as a category for
music is not a musicologically homogeneous genre. The Shiite
passion plays depicting the martyrdom of
Imam Hussein have its beginnings in the martial
music of Iran. Similarly
Sufi music,
though having set traditions of its own such as the use of the
mystical instrument
daf and a set compendium of
librettos in
Persian mystical
poetry, is nevertheless perhaps closest to
Dastgah music but enjoys a greater freedom of
composition and is rhythmically more sophisticated.
The recitation of the
Koran is not considered
music by Muslims, but something more sublime. Similarly, religious
liturgy or
Noheh is a category of improvised
song, but is never discussed in musical terms.
Popular music however occupies a low ebb in the rungs of
respectability with the exception of folk music that plays an
important role in the daily life of rural Iranians.
Some of the most
beautiful music composed in Iran is remembered in the folk songs in
Kurdistan
and Khorasan for
example. Unlike all other form of music which can be
considered children of
Classical Persian
Music, Folk songs have greatly influenced the Dastgah system
and names such as Isfahan and Bayat e Turk attest to the regional
origins of the melodic formulae that underlie Persian Art Musical
Tradition.
Musical theatre in the form of Rohozi, whereby the covered pool in
the middle of an inner courtyard served as a stage, is considered
decadent by many Iranians.
Tasneefs or
popular urban compositions were often put together for the purposes
of dance often in all women parties and some of the more famous
compositions like Baba Karam and the accompanying dance is today
the height of Persian Kitsch. (Dr Salardini - excerpt from upcoming
book)
Iranian Classical Music
See main article: Musiqi-e
assil
Persian classical music goes back a long way. Musicians like
Barbod were legendary in the empire of the
Sassanid era.
Until the early 20th century, musiqi-e assil was heard almost
entirely at the royal courts of the
monarchy. The
Qajar dynasty
ruled until 1925, with their influence declining since the turn of
the century. Musiqi-e assil became a more common past-time for the
next few decades, especially after
cassettes were introduced in the
1960s. Before the 1979 revolution, Iran produced the Classic /
Dastgahi singing stars
Gholam
Hossein Banan,
Delkash,
Marzeyeh,
Hengameh
Akhavan,
Akbar Golpa,
Elahe,
Parisa,
Khonsari,
Homayra,
Mahasti,
Iraj,
Hooshamnd Aghili and instrumentalists like
Abolhasan Saba,
Asghar Bahari,
Ahmad
Ebadi,
Hossein Tehrani,
Faramarz Payvar,
Ali
Tadjvidi,
Dariush Talai,
Muhammad Heidari and
Hassan Kassai.
The years after the 1979 revolution emerged Islamic Republic
approved stars like
Parviz
Meshkatian,
Arshad Tahmasebi,
Davod Ganjeyi,
Jamshid Andalibi,
Kayhan Kalhor,
Mohammad Reza Lotfi,
Hossein Alizadeh,
Dariush Talai,
Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, and
Shahram Nazeri. The renaissance
brought popularity to the genre. Even though the revolution era
coincided with the music's popularity, music and Islam have not
always meshed well, and many Iranian conservatives disliked even
the simple melodies and lyrics of classical music. Women were
banned from singing as soloists for male audience, though they were
allowed to continue performing as soloists for female audience, as
instrumentalists and in chorus.
Most notable living Iranian classical vocalists are: Shajarian,
Shahram Nazeri,Parissa, Akbar Golpa, Iraj. Among relatively new
classical vocalists we can name:
Homay,
Hesamuddin Seraj,
Mohsen keramati, Salar Aghili,
Alireza Ghorbani,
Homayoun Shajarian, Afsaneh Rasaei,
Mozafar Shafi’i, Ali Jahandar, Mahsa Vahdat,
Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh and
Maryam Akhondy.
More notable Iranian progressive musicians whom at their own time
have created modern and contemporary Persian classical based
theories and styles include the late Ostad
Parviz Yahaghi, the late Ostad Asadollah
Malek, the late
Ostad Mohammad
Baharloo, the late Ostad Alinaghi Vaziri, the late Ostad
Varzandeh, the late Ostad Hossein Tehrani, Ostad Faramarz Payvar
and Ostad Bahman Rajabi whom have impacted and influenced the
classical Iranian traditions with their respective innovative
musical approaches.
This wall painting depicts a scene
from a 17th century classical Iranian music ensemble.
Sound file samples of classical Iranian music:
Ali Tajvidi, composer and University
professor
Notable bands:
Persian Symphonic Music
Persian Symphonic Music has a long history. In fact
Opera originated from Persia much before its emergence
in Europe. Iranians traditionally performed
Tazeeieh, which in many respects resembles the
European Opera. The first serious pieces of Persian symphonic music
have been composed by
Gholma-Reza
Minbashian,
Gholam-Hossein
Minbashian,
Aminollah Hossein,
Parviz Mahmoud and then
Houshang Ostovar,
Samin Baghtcheban,
Emanuel Melik-Aslanian,
Morteza Hannaneh,
Hossein Nassehi,
Hossein Dehlavi,
Ahmad Pejman,
Mohammad Taghi Massoudieh,
etc.
There are also some growing attempts to combine
Persian classical music and
western classical music.
Davood Azad, a renowned Iranian musician and
vocalist, melded
Johann Sebastian
Bach's music style and Iranian classical music.
Iran's main orchestra include:
National Orchestra,
Tehran Symphony
Orchestra and
Perspolis Symphony
Orchestra (Nations Orchestra).
Iran is not alien to western classical music either. Many radio
stations in Tehran play Mozart's concertos on a daily basis, and
many Iranians even make it to world fame and fortune. The late 20th
century classical composer
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was of
Iranian descent. The best examples of these Iranians are perhaps
Shardad Rohani (LA Symphony Orchestra
conductor),
Lily Afshar (world class
classical guitarist and student of
Andrés Segovia),
Loris Tjeknavorian(principal conductor to
the Rudaki Opera House Orchestra in Tehran)
[49483] , and
Hormoz
Farhat (Composer, Ethnomusicologist, Music Professor).
Moreover,
Zubin Mehta, the world-famous
classical conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, is of
Iranian ancestry and acted as guest conductor of
Tehran Symphony Orchestra.
In 2005,
Ali Rahbari, the head of
Tehran Symphony Orchestra,
performed
Beethoven's 9th
Symphony in Tehran Vahdat Hall.
[49484]
Also in 2005, Perspolis Orchestra (Melal Orchestra) played a piece
which dates back to 3000 years ago. The notes of this piece of
music, which is believed to have belonged to
Sumerian and
ancient
Greeks, were discovered among some ancient inscriptions and
after being deciphered by archaeologists, was orchestrated by
Siavosh Beizaee for Perspolis
Orchestra Symphony. However, as it is demonstrated on ancient
reliefs of that era, the instrumentations of such pieces probably
comprised wind instruments like horn and pipe. Renowned Iranian
musician,
Peyman Soltani, conducted
the Perspolis orchestra.in 2007,
keyvan
yahya, young mathemician and musician that has done many works
on mathematical foundations of music theory and his research
interestings including
Image
Processing,
Mathematical
Neurosciene, established a symphony orchestra named
satrap philharmonic
orchestra,this orchestra performs some classical and modern
music by western composer and also concerns Persian symphonic
pieces in its repertoire.he composed a divertimento for strings
that performed by the national ukrain symphony orchestra conducted
by Vladimir Sirenko.also he have some collaborationa with
international musicians such as
Mike
Roberts,
Jeff
Harrington,
victoria bonds and
Kevin Kaska.yahya performed many pieces
composed by the mentioned composers throughought mike roberts's
adagio,harrington'
symphony and kaska's
song without words were so much
influential.yahya also wrote an opera based on
Mirzadeh Eshghi's poems.
Folk music
Main article: Main article:
Iranian folk music
The modal concepts in Persian folk music are directly linked with
that of the classical music. However, imprvisation plays a minor
role as folk tunes are characterized by relatively clear-cut
melodic and rhythmic properties. The function of each folk melody
determines its mood. The varying aesthetic requirements of wedding
songs, lullabies, love songs, harvest songs, dance pieces, etc.,
are met with transparent and appropriate simplicity. The majority
of the classical instruments are too elaborate and difficult for
the folk musicians. Instead, there are literally dozens of musical
instruments of various sorts found among the rural people. In fact,
each region of the country can boast instruments peculiar to
itself. Three types of instruments, however, are common to all
parts of the country. They are, a kind of shawm called Surnay (or
Sorna ~ Zorna), the various types of Ney (flute), and the Dohol, a
doubleheader drum. A discussion of Persian music must necessarily
include the new hybrid of mixed Persian-Western music which is
functioning as a popular-commercial music. The use of western
popular rhythms, an elementary harmonic superimposition, and
relatively large ensembles composed of mostly western instruments,
characterize this music. The melodic and modal aspects of these
compositions maintain basically Persian elements. On the whole, it
would be something of an understatement to say that the artistic
merit of such a melange as this is rather questionable.
Iran is home to several
ethnic groups,
including
Kurds,
Azerbaijanis,
Bakhtiari and
Baluchi
peoples.
Turkmen epic poets similar
to
Central Asian musicians are
common in
Khorasan, while
Kurdish music is known for its double-reed
duduk and an earthy, dance-oriented sound. The
most famous personalities in Iranian folk music are
Pari Zangeneh and
Sima
Bina.
Music of Azarbaijan (Azarbadegan, Iran)
This is the music of provinces of Zanjan, East Azerbaijan, West
Azerbaijan and Ardabil in Iran. Azerbaijan like other parts of Iran
has a distinct music. On February 21, 1828, under the Treaty of
Turkmenchay, Russia seized the control of Iranian territory to the
North of the River Aras, which is now called the Republic of
Azerbaijan where they share very similar music as Azarbijanis in
Iran. The number of Azerbaijnis in Iran is about three times larger
than population of Republic of Azerbaijan.
Kurdistan
The forms of music found in various parts of Kurdistan, all known
as
Kurdish music, vary depending on
the climate and geography of the regions as well as their contact
with the neighboring cultures. For example, the melodies found
among the people living in the mountains are different from those
found among the people living in the meadows. However, the poetry
and the rhythms are common to both areas.
Kurdish music, similar to other Eastern music, is monophonic and
modal (more specifically, based on the maqam system, which is
loosely translated as modal). However, because multiple instruments
with varying pitch range, color, and ornamentation capabilities are
used to play the same melody, it is also heterophonic. In addition
to` specifically Kurdish modes (maqams), Kurdish music also
utilizes all the modes and dastgahs found in the traditional music
of Iran.
There are two forms of Kurdish music. The first is based on the
maqam system. Similar to traditional music of Iran, improvisation
plays an important role in Kurdish music. While a maqam is used to
designate a certain melodic structure, a musician may improvise
within this structure by employing variations on ornamental
figures, rhythms, and melodic forms. The maqams of Kurdistan,
preserved by oral tradition throughout generations, are based
onmicrotonal tuning systems where one can find intervals of half
step, full step, three quarter step, and one and a quarter step.
[These intervals are not necessarily in an equal-tempered 24 tone
scale.]
The second form of Kurdish music is based on a set of melodies,
known as gourani or closed, which have distinct and structured
rhythms. The word gourani is derived from gabaran, which literally
means "one who worships fire." This word is related to the ancient
rituals of fire worship among the Zoroastrians. Through the passage
of time gabaran was changed to gouran. Gourani is also the name of
a tribe whose members speak Kurdish and are known for their poetry.
The members of certain groups of dervishes (Ahle Hagh) in
Kermanshah and certain regions of Sanandaj, use this word to refer
to the songs performed during their spiritual ceremonies. Because
of its distinct rhythm, gourani is often accompanied by other
instruments, and in some cases by clapping.
The poems used in most Kurdish music are filled with stories of
romance and unrequited love. These poems have often two verses,
which are divided in ten, eleven, or twelve syllables, and are
based on the
Gathas of the
Zoroastrians. Kurdish melodies are very simple;
their range is usually confined to a few notes. The form of the
music is often strophic, and every gourani has a particular melody
which is sung with various stanzas. At the end of every stanza the
strophe is repeated unchanged throughout the song. Every gourani is
characterized by a specific strophe. Similar to a lied or a
chanson, gouranis may be accompanied by instrumental sections,
which have three parts: prelude, middle section, and the ending.
The prelude and the ending are performed by the group, and the
middle section is performed in the form of call and response.
Gouranis fall into several categories, each performed with specific
melodies for specific occasions. Some examples are work gouranis,
shepherd gouranis, romantic gouranis, religious and spiritual
gouranis, festive gouranis, Chemari (mourning) gouranis, war
gouranis, children gouranis, women gouranis, and Ramadan
gouranis.
Before Islam, the "religious and spiritual gouranis" were used by
the Kurds in their worship rituals of Ahura Mazda (the wise and
supreme god of Zoroastrianism), fire, the sun, and the moon. Within
Islam, new gouranis were developed for worship of God and paying
tribute to sacred figures. The dervish houre, Azan (special forms
of reciting of the Koran), and zekr [also a ritualistic dance
performed by the dervishes during devotional ceremonies] are among
these types of gouranis. The "festive gouranis", which have strong
and exciting rhythms, are used for marriage, circumcision, or
holiday celebrations, and are often accompanied by dancing and
clapping. The "war gouranis" have moving rhythms and are often used
with poems which induce feelings for nationalism and the protection
of freedom. "Children gouranis" have very simple rhythms accompany
children's poems. "Women gouranis" are sung by women during their
everyday chores, such as milking the cows, carrying water from the
springs, or picking flowers. "Chemari gouranis", which are sung in
the funerals while carrying the dead (especially a young deceased),
are accompanied by sorna (a wind instrument) and dohol (a large
percussion instrument), and have very sad poems. "Ramadan gouranis"
are mostly used during the month of Ramadan to declare the coming
of dawn [when people have food before fasting during the day].
Accompanied by sorna and dohol, they are played in elevated regions
of cities and villages. (H. Kamkar - master musician
www.kereshmeh.com)
Khorasan
Due to its ethnic diversity and the existence of different
languages and religious observations (Sunni and Shi'a), the musical
tradition of
Khorasan is very
rich.
From
the north
to the south
, the music scene varies greatly. In the
north of Khorasan, one can find the bakhshi narrating and singing,
among other things, "daastans" (stories in old Persian), although
they can also sing in Kurdish about the historical deeds of local
figures. They accompany themselves on the
dotar. A leading exponent of this type is the late
Haj Ghorban Soleimani. One can
also find in the north, the Asheq who play "dohol" (double-faced
drum), the "sorna" (a kind of oboe-like reed instrument) and the
"qoshme" (double clarinet made of the central nervure of the
plumage of birds tied together). The Asheq are specifically
associated with the Kurds and play at wedding dances and village
feasts. In the East of Khorasan, near
Torbat Jam , the main instrument is the
dotar with some modifications (
hear it), but
there are no Bakhshi and the music is different. Here, the music
takes the form of "ghazal khani'" and is performed by singers of
quatrains and "ghazals" - lyric poems based on the invocations of
mystic poets like
Rumi,
Attar and Sheikh Ahmad
Jami. Purely instrumental pieces also figure in the
repertoire.
More towards the south, in the regions of Birjand and Qa'in, the
musical culture changes again: the dotar is no longer present
(although it seems that in the past, it was played). The songs are
called "sotak" and are accompanied on the "dayereh"
(tambourine).(Ameneh Yousefzadeh - Musicologist *
www.kereshmeh.com)
Turkmen Music
In Khorasan as in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the word bakhshi
means instrumentalist, singer, and storyteller. The origin of the
word bakhshi comes from Turkish which in turn comes from a Chinese
word po-shih meaning erudite. It was through the Turkish Ouigours
that certain elements of Chinese language infiltrated 13th and 14th
century Mongol literature). The word bakhshi appeared in Iranian
and Turkish literature with the advent of the Mongols. At the time,
the role of the bakhshi seems to have been sometimes that of the
healing shaman, and at other times that of a Buddhist priest.
As for the bakhshi of Khorasan, they claim that the origin of their
name can be found in the word bakhshande (donor, bestower of gifts)
because of the musical gift that God has bestowed upon them. This
is a title of respect in northern Khorasan and among the Turkmen of
Torkaman-Sahra.
The bakhshi can also be found in almost all of Central Asia, among
the Kazakh, Kirghiz, Uzbek, and Turkmen people as well as in
Afghanistan, Tajik-Arab and in East Turkestan. Among other
ethnicities, on the other hand, the term bakhshi, throughout
centuries has designated a bard, a story-teller, and singer of
legends and epics.
As a singer, the bakhshi is more precisely a narrator of dastan
(story) and an instrumentalist who plays the dotar (long-necked
two-stringed instrument) and who, in most cases, fabricates his own
musical instrument. The majority of the great bards of Khorasan,
regardless of their ethnic origin, sing in three languages
(Turkish, Persian, and Kurdish). Whether professional or
semi-professional, nowadays the bard doesn't usually earn his
living solely through playing music. Most often, he is also, for
example, a farmer, a barber, or a teacher. With his instrument, the
dotar, he usually sings and plays by himself. However, the Turkmen
bards prefer to play in groups of two or three. In this case, the
bard is accompanied by another dotar player and a person playing
the kamanche.
The right to assume the title of bakhshi is subject to specific
conditions. A bakhshi should not only be a good musician and have a
good voice, he also needs excellent diction for telling stories.
Ideally, he learns his art from his father or his uncle while
living under the family roof. Some acquire their apprenticeship
under the tutelage of a master (ostad). The learning process
evolves in three stages: 1) learning the dotar technique, 2)
learning vocal techniques, 3) memorizing the stories. In the last
stage, the master teaches his student a fragment of a dastan on a
daily basis, so that he can memorize and recite it the next day.
The bakhshi is renowned for his prodigious memory.
Traditionally, the bakhshi plays at village ceremonies such as
weddings and circumcisions, but he also performs at private
gatherings and in ghahve-khanes (coffee houses) of the bazars.
Unfortunately, nowadays, television has taken the place of the
traditional bard in the Ghahve-khane. Fortunately, today we can
also hear the bakhshi performing in concerts often within the
context of festivals (Ameneh Yousefzadeh).
Mazandaran
Mazandaran
has a diverse folk music culture that includes
songs and instrumental and ritual music. Rhythm is usually
simple in songs, which include
katuli, which is most common around the town of
Aliabad-e Katul; the song is
sometimes said to be sung when people take a
catouli cow
out to graze. Because the song was originally sung while walking
and working, it often has syllables like
jana,
hey or
aye added, in order to allow the singer to
breath while he was working (a
work song).
Another kind of song is called
kaleh haal
(or
kal kaal or
Leili's lover). The term
kaleh haal may refer to its shortness of length (
kale
haal means
short present) or to its common wingers,
housewives who sang it while cooking with a
kaleh, a type
of oven.
Amiri songs usually use long poems written by
Amir Pazevari, a legendary poet from
Mazandaran.
There is also a type of song called
najma which describes the love
between Prince Najmedin of the Fars
area and a girl named Ranaa. The
najma is popular throughout Iran, adapted for the local cultures.
The
Charvadars are an ancient class of
merchants who sold commodities abroad for a local village; their
songs are called
charvadari. In
contrast to most Mazandarani music,
charvadari has a
prominent rhythm, which may be because it was often sung on
horseback.
Traditional music of women
This music is a special type of folk mucic.
Maryam Akhondy, a classical singer, collected
such songs and published them on her album "Banu - Songs of Persian
Women". It had been sung at the cradle, at the housework and work
in the fields or on women's celebrations.
Pop music
Iran developed its own pop music by the 1950s,when
Vigen introduced the Guitar for the first time and
later on using indigenous instruments and forms and adding
electric guitar and other imported
characteristics. He became the most popular pop singer of this
period for his unique voice. Later on in 1970's,
Googoosh who was Vigen's student became popular.
After the
Iranian Revolution in
1979, pop music's future seemed dark because of the new Islamic
laws and restrictions.
Many Iranians migrated to foreign countries,
especially Los Angeles
in the United States
, and Iranian-in-exile pop stars
include:Dariush
Eghbali,
Ebi,
Siavash
Shams,
Siavash
Ghomeyshi,
Hayedeh,
Homeira,
Mahasti,
Sattar,
Shohreh
solaty,
Shahram Solaty,
Noshafarin,
Aref,
Shahram Shabpareh,
Layla Frohar,
Faramarz
Asef,
Andy,
Koros,
Martik,
Morteza,
FarzanehAhmad Azad,
Mansour,
Shahram K,
Fattaneh,
Moein,
Hasan Shamaeezadeh,
Nazi Afshar,
Bijan
Mortazavi.
Iranian rock and Metal music
Rock music in Iran has been influenced by
many traditional forms of Iranian music and popular Western rock
bands such as
Pink Floyd,
The Doors,
Dire
Straits,
AC/DC,
Metallica and
Pantera.
Iranian rock music first developed in the 1970s, but was largely
silent during the 1980s, only to witness a recurrence in the
1990s.Right now "O-hum"(persian:اوهام) is one of the most important
Rock groups in Iran.
Renowned personalities
- Gachpaj : (Hooman Hamedani, Sohrab Hosseini, Masoud
Ahmadzadeh, Hadi Sabet, Arash Fattahi, Pedram Hajbashi) Tehran ,
Iran.
Iranian hip hop and Rap music
The term
hip hop refers to a musical and
political movement that has developed predominantly over the last
quarter-century. Since first emerging in New York City in the
seventies, hip-hop has grown to encompass not just music, but an
entire lifestyle that consistently incorporates diverse elements of
ethnicity, technology and urban life. Iranians gen Xr's have mixed
elements of the new and the old to create a new chapter in the
"Music of Iran".
Electronic music
First experiments of electronic music with Persian music was
performed by Dariush Dolatshahi. other Pioneers include
Som'ma Ensemble
directed by
Shirzad Sharif in San Francisco as well as
experimentations of Shahrokh Yadegari & Alan Kushan.
Many of the expatriate Iranians in North America and Europe are
involved in
electronic music. The
best known group is the Washington, D.C.-based
Deep Dish which consists of Ali "Dubfire" and
Shahram.
Renowned personalities
- Som'ma
Ensemble & Som'ma Dub Ensemble
- Deep Dish: (Ali "Dubfire" Shirazi and
Shahram Tayebi) Washington DC, USA
- 2ins+1 :
(Ojan Zargar , Joubin Zargar and Arash Fattahi) Tehran , Iran.
- DJ Behrouz (Behrouz Nazai) San
Francisco, USA
- Low End Specialists (New
York City) -The Low End Specialists are NYC based duo Mac Clark and
Ali Geramian.
- Omid 16b (Omid Nourizadeh), London,
UK
- DJ Aligator,
Denmark
- Fred Masaki, Washington DC, USA
- Amir Baghiri,
Germany
- Behrouz Jamali
- Ali Saedi, Seattle
, USA
- Kaveh Azizi, Sweden
- Ali Payami, Sweden
Iranian children music
Iranian children music has commonly simple melodies and lyrics and
are performed by kids.
Iranian music in other countries
Iranian music style has influenced the music of central Asia.
Songs
International recognition of Iranian music
Music of Iran and Iranian musicians have received countless awards
in the course of history. Here are some:
2008
2007
2006
- Grammy Award (nomination), Faryad album, Masters of Persian Music.
- Grammy Award, Ali Shirazinia, Shahram Tayyebi and Deep Dish.
- Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance (nomination),
Persian Trilogy by Behzad
Ranjbaran.
- "Best Middle Eastern Song" & "Best Middle Eastern Album",
2006 JPF Awards: Andy Madadian.
- "2006 Best International Armenian Album Award" for the 2006
Armenian Music Awards: City of Angels by Andy Madadian.
- 3 tan band. J.F.K Awards 2006 For Best eastern rock song "A
Drop Of Alcohol"
- Golden Lioness Award for Best Conductor, The World Academy of
Arts, Literature, and Media: Ali
Rahbari.
- Golden Lioness Award for Classic Music Best Soprano Performer,
The World Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media: Monika Jalili.
2005
- Golden Lioness Award for Classical-Best Vocal Ability, The
World Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media:
Akbar Golpa
- Golden Lioness Award for Classical-Arrange & Pop, The World
Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media:
Sattar
- Golden Lioness Award for Best Insturmentalist, The World
Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media:
Muhammad Heidari
- Golden Lioness Award for Classic-pop, The World Academy of
Arts, Literature, and Media:
Mahasti
- Golden Lioness Award for Classical Performance, The World
Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media:
Hooshmand Aghili
- Golden Lioness Award for Classical Performance, The World
Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media: Shakila.
- UNESCO music award (Picasso award), nominee: Mohammad Reza
Darvishi.
- "Best Unsigned U.K. Hip Hop Artist , Riddla:
2003
2001
- NAV’s best contemporary world music album: Axiom of Choice .
- Best Recombinant World Music Ensemble in 2001 by the LA Weekly
Music Awards. (nomination): Axiom of choice band.
2000
1999
- Picasso Medal, Mohammad Reza Shajarian.
- Pikanes award, Thailand's most prestigious music award for an
outstanding orchestral performance: Shahrdad Rohani.
1977
- Prestigious Gold Medal at the Besancon International
Conductors' Competition, Ali Rahbari.
- Silver medal in Geneva International Conducting Competition,
Ali Rahbari.
Others
- Rudolf Nissim Award, Behzad
Ranjbaran.
- Grand Prize in the Aspen Music Festival Guitar Competition,
Lily Afshar.
- Top Prize in the Guitar Foundation of America Competition, Lily
Afshar.
- Loris Tjeknavorian, Homayoon
Order and Medal for the composition of "Son et Lumiere Persepolis
2500"
Sources and Further reading
- Akbarzadeh, Pejman. Persian Musicians, Navid
Publications, Shiraz, 1998, ISBN 964-6810-20-9.
- Akbarzadeh, Pejman. Persian Musicians, Vol.
II, Roshanak Publications, Tehran, 2002, ISBN
964-93867-3-4.
- Nelly Caron and Dariush Safvate, "Iran: Traditions Musicales"
(Paris, 1966).
- Nooshin, Laudan. "The Art of Ornament". 2000. In Broughton,
Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla
(Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the
Middle East, pp 355-362. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN
1-85828-636-0.
- Nettl, Bruno (1989). Blackfoot Musical Thought: Comparative
Perspectives. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. ISBN
0-87338-370-2.
- Ameneh Youssefzadeh, "Iran’s Regional Musical Traditions in the
Twentieth Century: A Historical Overview." Iranian Studies, volume
38, number 3, September 2005. Link.
- DVD of TOMBAK / Madjid Khaladj - Coproduction : Le Salon de
Musique & Ecole de Tombak | Language : français, anglais,
espagnol | 172 minutes | Booklet of 80 pages (French/English.)| EDV
937 CV. [49485]. CD Infinite Breath / Madjid Khaladj, NAFAS /
Bâ Music Records. [49486]
- Persian
Art Music, Tar, Setar : Master Talai's official website
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