Coming soon with 20 new tracks!

Benyamin Bahadori, whose follow-up to the successful debut “85″ was postponed last year, will finally release the highly anticipated collection with 20 tracks! In the new album Benyamin has once again collaborated with Farid Ahmadi as lyricist but replaced Nima Varasteh with Payam Shams as arranger. Benyamin is said to perform his first domestic concert after the release.

Rohani and the voice of a Scorpion

Maestro Anoushirvan Rohani and Claus Meine, the lead singer of the German HardRock band The Scorpions, have created and preformed a song together called “Maybe I, Maybe You”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZUY9j4grco

New Releases: Saeid and BAILA HABIBI 5

Two new releases,

Saeid is back with his second album called “Future”:
http://musicboxla.com/saeidfuture.html

The world-musician Farshad “Shad” Rabbani releases the new Baila Habibi compilation, fifth in the series:
http://musicboxla.com/wovabaha5.html

Musicians urge son to leave father

The acclaimed musicians Bijan Kamkar and Hassan Nahid warn the young Homayoun Shajarian not to cling to his father’s name and music too much and for too long! They urge him to as soon as possible find his own style and establish a solo career completely separate from the father’s tour and concerts. There comes a time when every student must leave nest and master says Nahid and Homayoun’s time has arrived!

“Women of music”, from book to databank

Nikoo Yousefi, researcher and member of the Nations Orchestra in Iran, will as of October be launching www.womenofmusic.ir, the first online databank for women’s role and involvement in Iranian music. The project was initially planned to be published in book format, as you’ve read in this blog before. The website however is to be an interactive encyclopaedia in which all sorts of researches and studies in the field will be submitted. It will also be including historic accounts, interviews, images, lyrics and notes.

Namjoo officially apologizes

In an open letter published on his website and IQNA (Iranian Quran News Agency) Mohsen Namjoo apologizes to the religious establishment and the Muslim nation. He declares himself as true believer of faith who can never exhale the air that he has breathed in these pas 30 years of life in his Islamic motherland and take off the “van yakad” medallion that his mother has given him. He apologizes first and foremost to his first teacher of Quran namely his mother and expresses pleasure that she yet hasn’t heard the recording in order to lose hope on him. Namjoo explains that he is still experimenting with religious musicality but neither them nor that three year old recording were planned to be publicly broadcasted. These are all recorded for my private consideration he says and those who have broadcasted it without his authorization have violated his integrity and privacy.

Iranians on Dylan’s next album?

Rumour has that Hamed Fakouri (left) from the Fakouri band and their former vocalist Salar Aghili (right) have recorded a traditional Iranian piece for an album produced by Bob Dylan!

I’m sorry, …WHO????!

Everyday I get a dozen of emails with questions about amateur and underground artists out there in the cyber society! And as a reply to 90% I have no answer but to say that I have no idea who the fellow (since its mostly fellows) is! Which song he sings with the other fellow or when his 3rd album of the year is to be released! I’m sorry but I have no clue!! Music is one of my passions and I also have the privilege to work with it on different levels! And as the fan that I am I have studied the history and followed the industry closely for decades now, but long gone are those times when new artists appeared once in a blue moon and amateur artists had to first establish themselves online before mass-producing! Today amateur artists mushroom rapidly on the plethora of “blogfa” blogs out there, putting out song after song on daily basis! Don’t get me wrong though, as I’ve mentioned before I’m all for this development! I believe in its importance for the evolution and natural selection in our music! But it is becoming almost humanly impossible to keep up with it! I’m sure that someone, perhaps someone younger and more energetic than this aging fan, is somewhere out there with a keen eagle eye on the entire progress and projects! On all the Mohsens and Pedrams out there, creating future in their basement studios! At least I love to believe that there is! I however am not! I have tried to keep up but long time ago lost track! Sorry!!

Ershaad urges not to promote fake concerts

Following the rejection of Chris de Burgh’s case, Ershaad has urged the media to refrain from promoting such concerts without verifying with the ministry! According to them many organizers attempt to such campaigns in media in order to put pressure on Ershaad to issue a permit and to rip people off! They even sell out tickets to a fake concert which will never take place, they say.

Watch SHOCK part 2

Here comes the 2nd part inthe SHOCK program series:

http://rapidshare.com/files/140692404/Shock_20Part_202.zip

The program has enraged many rappers inside the country who have released trackes against it!

Thanks to Mansour J.

Namjoo defending Namjoo

As a response to the accusations against him Mohsen Namjoo has on his official website published a short note in which he explains that this issue has been long solved with the authorities, to whom he had submitted an open letter which was never published. However he will in near future follow that up in a press release on his website. At the same time his brother has according to Aftab News defended his brother’s action and right to do so by explaining that the leaked recording was merely a private experiment which was never intended for public broadcasting. He has also stressed the fact that in many Muslim countries holy words are sung to rhythms and melodies that are not commonly used by Iranian men of the cloth, so just because something is not practised by Iranian Muslims doesn’t make it heretic or blasphemy! The brother also mentions Mohsen’s past as a reciter of Quran, taught and led by their father in a religious family. Therefore the short demo was not intended as a disrespect, on the contrary! According to him his brother was to fuse Arabic musicality with the world’s, but forgot the original Arabic lyrics at home. While in the studio he decided to replace the lyrics with words of the holy book which he had memorised since childhood.

http://www.mohsennamjoo.at

Watch SHOCK part 1

You can download and watch the controversial IRIB program SHOCK’s first episode about the Iranian RAP movement and its danger for society! Rappers are associated with Satanism and drug addiction! This is a MUST WATCH program!

all 3 parts must be downloaded and joined before watching:
http://rapidshare.com/files/140341632/Shock.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/140333905/Shock.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140331744/Shock.part3.rar

Thanks to Mansour J.

low quantity and quality of releases puts customers off!

The owner of one of Tehran’s many music stores on the verge of bankruptcy complains about the dire state of the industry and the crashing sales numbers. He claims that everyday many potential customers visit his store for new releases only to hear him saying that there have been none! And those that do get released are so underwhelming in terms of quality that the customers are put off and sent home to search the internet for good music, he says.

New Release: Jahan- “Lahzehaaye Aasheghi”"

Rumour has that Jahan was seen at Beethoven Music Store in Tehran last year before its bankruptcy, looking for albums of late Banan! And that remakes are to be found on the new album. I dont know how much of this is true but the new album is now released by the title of “Lahzehaaye Aasheghi”:

http://eworldrecords.com/lahaas.html

SHOCK, Rap and Satanism!

Following Ershaad’s call to a stand against “unhealthy music” as a national threat channel 3 of the state television (IRIB) is about to start a new program series called SHOCK, aiming to present RAP music along with Satanism and drug addiction as one of the destructive temptations and forces in society! The trailer for the program depicts Felakat in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HanEdupxjg8

thanks to Mansour J.

Ershaad: de Burgh hasn’t applied for permit

According to Fars News Agency, Ershaad claims that no permit has been issued for Chris de Burgh’s scheduled concerts in Iran since there has been no application submitted for one by anyone! And thereby rejecting ARIAN’s manager Mohsen Rajabpour’s claim that a verbal agreement has been reached with the ministry.

Departure of a Cultural Guardian

I just heard that the renowned lyricist/poet/writer Tooraj Negahban has passed away! Neghaban was a prominent member of the legendary “Golhaa” show in Iran and written numerous lyrics for artists such as late Hayedeh, Mahasti, Banan, Delkash and Googoosh. Among many others! In recent years he hosted cultural TV-programs in Los Angeles. May his soul rest in peace!

Shahrzad is back with new stories to tell

I’ve always enjoyed Shahrzad Sepanlou’s music and respected her integrity as an artist. A highly (by our industry) underappreciated talent, unfortunately! Its been years since her last album but now she is back with new independent songs on her myspace. In a collaboration with the Italian composer/producer Giampiero Scuderi. I must say that I find the style of the French songs reminiscent of the French diva Helene Segara’s music. Love it!

http://www.myspace.com/shahrzadmusic

Shahrzad is also (to my knowledge) the only Iranian singer who blogs and has recently taken up blogging again after a longer break. In her blog she writes sincerely about herself and things that affect her! I’ve been reading her blog ever since she started blogging and let me tell you that its really hard not to get charmed by the lady when you read her thoughts!

http://sepanlou.blogspot.com/