Heather Rastovac The Underground Music Scene in Urban Iran 63 position, as well as its religiously contested status, pop music was officially banned following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic form of government in Iran. The combination of cultural heritage with hip-hop, rap and rock music is typical of the (underground) music scene in Iran. Moreover, as Kerdar points out, “rock uses a raw language” and any societal issue in the Islamic Republic touches on politics. Such restrictions have pushed Iran's music and dance scenes underground. In contrast to conven- Philosophy in music are bullets for our struggle. Censorship mandated by the Ministry of Culture occurs in every aspect of life in Iran. Organising concerts is virtually impossible, because in addition to the authorisations from the ministry, they also need the approval of the Friday Imam, the religious authority. A record shop in Tehran in 2005, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad banned all western music from Iranian airwaves. Hassan Rouhani was elected in 2013 on the promise that he would allow Iran’s cultural scene the space to flourish, free from the worst excesses of censorship that … The report traces the gradual imposition of music censorship since 1978, when the communist government of Nur Ahmad Taraki came to power in a violent coup d’etat. They told us that the flames might call to mind the devil and would have to be removed,” he recounts. With AtriA, she had the opportunity to take part in a concert abroad. "I feel it is my goal in life to express our history, our culture, our joys and our struggles through this beautiful art form.". Excerpt from Chapter 8 in the report ’Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran’, published by Article 19 in September 2006. Instead of respect, it creates fear.". According to Kharrazi, it follows a cyclical pattern: eight years of reformists and there’s an opening in the world of cinema, theatre and music, then eight years of conservatives and there is another clamp down. Music has always been a target for censorship with many debates about appropriate use of language, religious references, violence, sexuality and civil rights being the main areas of contention. Mr Taheri cited numerous cases of performers sentenced to prison terms and/or lashes, including 15 women and men in 2018 imprisoned for alleged "participation in the production of 'vulgar' music and images and its dissemination through anti-regime satellite networks". "We're somehow anonymous in our country," she said. That same year, Iranian state TV broadcast apologies — which appeared to be filmed in prison — of several women, who were briefly detained for posting videos of themselves dancing on Instagram, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. Sarah Leah Whiston, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said at the time that the incident was "equal parts abusive and embarrassing" and "a new low for the Iranian authorities". Amir Shahab Khorrami, founder of the death metal band AtriA, and Shirin Vaezi, the band’s drummer, sometimes meet at the café. She was saddened to receive the news of Mr Rajabian's arrest in connection to her dance. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Beloved among world-music circles for her vocal perfection, Persian classical singer Mahsa Vahdat has been internationally recognized for raising awareness of freedom of expression for the female Iranian musical voice. Kaveh Taheri, a Turkey-based Iranian researcher, investigative journalist and founder of political studies institute ICBPS, said Iranian authorities have banned 52 women musicians from performing since early 2019. Shirin explains that in spite of all the efforts aimed at reviving rock music in Iran, she cannot speak about her work with pride: “I think that most people do not know this genre and associate it with negative images, such as depravity, alcohol, devil worshipping and even prostitution. I have spent my life presenting the beautiful side of Iran and our culture to people all over the world," she said. Sometimes we were able to get hold of video cassettes, for example, and that’s how we saw a clip of Iron Maiden for the first time,” he reminisces. Photograph: Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters T e h … – what happens when a grassroots, international creators’ movement and a traditional trade union join forces? The courses are designed in line with international teaching methods and can be taken online, which means that musicians living in the provinces can also follow them. Authorisation has to be obtained from a whole host of authorities in addition to the Ministry, some of which are indirectly linked to the Guardians of the Revolution. The young woman started taking drum lessons at the age of 20 and went on to become one of the few, if not the only, female drummers in Iran: “When I started working as a civil engineer, I didn’t have much time to rehearse and couldn’t play at home, so I used to drive to a friend’s place to practise there for half an hour. The arrival of the internet has changed the game, making it possible to develop a degree of musical culture in the Islamic Republic. Once this hurdle is overcome, organising concerts is a whole other matter. "The repression of Iranian women singers and musicians is not only part of the broad denial of freedom of expression in Iran, where any political or artistic expression disapproved of by the authorities is forbidden and criminalised, it also reflects the intense cultural repression Iranian women face in all walks of life," CHRI executive director Hadi Ghaemi said. On the fourth floor of a rather chic building in central Tehran, the Khosh Honar music academy welcomes music lovers of all kinds. But this fairy tale is so prevalent and omnipresent, because the stories of those who have actually lived there are yet to be told. In any other country, we would probably be making a living from our concerts.”. Forbidden to perform in public, many female dancers in Iran use their social media accounts as a type of virtual stage. Mr Rajabian creates classical compositions using local Iranian instruments, but his latest project contains something largely forbidden in Iran: the graceful movements of a female classical dancer. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). But despite their hard work, they said they cannot break out into the larger electronic music scene because of restrictions. The government’s guidance is sacrosanct because it says so. Rock or metal musicians are still, moreover, considered by some authorities to be devil worshippers. For him, it is the anti-establishment ideology behind rock that the authorities fear: “Unlike those who go to pop concerts, rock fans are more intellectual, there is a line of thought, and that scares them.”, Khorrami, meanwhile, explains that he has been teaching electric guitar for 10 years, and that 95 per cent of rock and metal musicians in Iran earn their living by teaching. Will Kazakhstan’s booming cryptocurrency mining industry be a boon or a danger for the environment? 'Every day is a day of suffering': Former inmates describe mock executions, beatings and psychological "torture" in the notorious prison where several Australians have been held. Democracy and health: how citizen participation can also contribute to better health care. “Headbanging is banned, even though it’s the DNA of heavy metal,” laments Kharrazzi. After providing a brief background on music censorship in Iran prior to the revolution of 1978–1979, the chapter chronicles developments in music censorship in the country, from Ayatollah Khomeini’s ban on all concerts, and especially the radio and television broadcasts of foreign and Iranian classical and popular music, to the relaxation of strict policies on music under President Hāshemi Rafsanjāni. As part of the BBC's Inside Iran season, Behzad Bolour of the BBC Persian Service looks at how underground acts are challenging the tough music censorship laws in the country. Censorship and the Islamic Republic: Two Modes of Regulatory Measures for Media in Iran Babak Rahimi This article focuses on censorship in Iran and offers an overall view on the con-trol of information through complex regulatory and cultural practices that make media production possible under the Islamic Republic. Print: Print article. Ms Bandeh spent six years teaching Persian classical dance both in Iran and abroad until, despite holding a permit, she was arrested last year. "But as soon as the dance is presented as an individual form of expression, an art, the perception is often completely different," she said. Music in … Iran’s Cyber Police unit (FATA), tasked with fighting “digital criminals”, is the most notorious. Musicians therefore have to dedicate part of their courses to raising their students’ awareness about the importance of respecting each other’s work. White House press secretary Jen Psaki says Joe Biden received a "generous and gracious" letter from Donald Trump, but its contents won't be revealed until the pair speak, Joe Biden says if he ever hears someone from his administration "treat another colleague with disrespect, I promise you I will fire you on the spot", Australia's official unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent in December, with 50,000 people starting a new job that month, Follow our live coverage as Joe Biden is inaugurated as the next US president, Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic. "The judge told me I was charged with publishing a woman singing and a woman dancing in my latest project, which 'causes society to go into prostitution'," Mr Rajabian said. Uyghur refugees speak out against genocide and crimes against humanity. Today’s young people, who make up 70 per cent of the country’s population, are conscious of being the sacrificed generation, the ones whose entire lives are likely to be spent struggling for the next generation to have rights. His father, a musician, played the santur, a traditional Iraqi instrument from the zither family – poles apart from Amir’s passion for rock, which he sees as an act of fate, given how little access there was to this kind of music in the Islamic Republic: “There was no internet at the time, and not even CDs. As with many other areas in Iran, music is linked to politics. Each group member has to be approved, as does their music, their lyrics and their attire. Joe Biden has been sworn into office. The Ershad is in charge of providing these permits and judges whether these works are in line with Islamic culture. “It’s a profound source of sadness for me that neither my parents nor my country backed me, and that I have to go elsewhere to hear people cry out my name, to understand my true worth,” laments Shirin. Her workshop and home were raided, her belongings were confiscated and she was detained for one year. Equal Times is a trilingual news and opinion website focusing on labour, human rights, culture, development, the environment, politics and the economy from a social justice perspective. Several of his songs have been rejected on this basis: “I once took a poem from the Mongol period and set it to music. Reported cases of internet censorship. As a result, I’d rather say I play pop music, to be more respected,” says the young woman. A question of boundaries lays at the heart of music censorship, but artists have always pushed back, fighting for the freedom to express themselves. 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Share: As part of IMP and ASL19’s continuing coverage of media policy in Iran, musician Shahin Najafi sat down with ASL19 for an interview about music and censorship in Iran.. Shahin Najafi is an Iranian rap star that recently came out of hiding after the Islamic Republic of Iran placed a fatwa, or religious edict, with a bounty of $100,000 for his life. "Iranian women — as half of the nation's population — have no right to sing publicly or dance, even by stealth if the authorities find out," he said. Another incident in 2014 made headlines across the world when six Iranians were arrested for appearing in an "obscene" video dancing to Pharrell Williams' song Happy. Will the pandemic change our relationship with nature and animals? A few months ago, the young man nevertheless obtained an authorisation from the Labour Ministry allowing him to issue a technical and professional diploma. “Unfortunately, there are not many options for the musicians in the provinces. Mr Rejabian told the ABC he was arrested after Sony Music released his latest album online, along with a video featuring renowned Persian classical dancer Helia Bandeh. Internet censorship is very sophisticated in Iran and mapping how people get around it is even more complicated. This tall, 36-year-old bearded man was drawn into the world of rock and metal when he was a teenager. Shirin comes from a family of musicians. His name wasn't uttered. "I have never expressed negative sentiments about our country anywhere. Last year, a popular social media movement called #dancingisnotacrime went viral, in protest of government censorship. Shahab therefore has pupils from Mashhad, in eastern Iran, from Ahvaz and Baluchistan in the south. In 2015, Mr Rajabian said he was again imprisoned, this time for two years during which he went on a hunger strike for 40 days. After the Islamic revolution in 1979, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, also known as the Ershad, came into existence to control all cultural activities in the country. Throughout the past century of Iranian political history and moving into its contemporary climate, severe censorship has occurred. They have faced restrictions from authorities' countless times and cannot play their electronic music at any mix-gender festivals, as Ms Kafashan would face too much scrutiny as a female musician. We give everything we have just to reach the surface, and then the real competition begins!” says Kharrazi. An Iranian music streaming site is causing public uproar after it emerged they erase all evidence of women from the front of their own album artwork. "In the end, it all really depends on the individual and the connections you have that decide what you can and cannot do," she said. "I felt they took my identity and there was nothing left inside of me.". Last year, a popular social media movement called #dancingisnotacrime went viral, in protest of government censorship. Censorship begins inside the home," he told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) in a recent interview. Another – by no means insignificant – problem affecting rock in Iran is the lack of solidarity between the bands. Big data: a friend or foe for small farmers. From left to right, Shirin Vaezi, Amir Kharrazi and Amir Shahab, from the group AtriA, after a re-hearsal in their private studio, on 15 September 2018 in Tehran. This was also the case with the ShabShanbeha festival, which hasn’t been held since. We would find cassettes and would come by a metal magazine from time to time. He said he was interrogated and detained for several hours before his family paid for him to be released on bail ahead of his trial. "Persian dance connects me to the core of my soul, my culture and my people," she said. In this country, those who persevere are really passionate about it.” Amir Kharrazi manages several bands in Iran and also organises concerts. The movement was sparked after 17-year-old Maedeh Hojabri confessed to crimes on Iranian state TV when authorities clamped down on her Instagram account, where she had posted videos of herself dancing without a head covering. The fight against censorship is an exercise in absurdity, a long, frustrating process of negotiation for the sake of negotiation, a futile wading into quicksand. Ms Bandeh, who performed to Mr Rajabian's music in the video that led to his arrest, said Iran's "complicated" rules regarding entertainment were a "grey zone". Culture in Iran was facing a state of emergency. ... On 30 January 2019, Iranian band Askair, performed a concert in Tehran. Iran is not a free society, but many aspects of life in Tehran are far less conservative than you might think. Yet many Iranians felt dance was a part of their culture, she said, including dancing at weddings and private parties. Chapter 8 is about music in Iran Shahkar Binesh-Pajouh is a lecturer with a doctorate in urban planning, who blends rap music with Persian classical poetry to condemn poverty, unemployment and other social issues. Negar Mortazavi speaks with Nahid Siamdoust, visiting Assistant Professor at Harvard University, about music after the 1979 revolution in Iran through the Iran-Iraq war, the post-war era of pop music, political music inspired by the 2009 green movement, and today's musicians in the diaspora, in memory of legendary Iranian singer the late Mohammadreza Shajarian. Because of government restrictions and political issues, Ms Kafasha said there is no way to "show our art or make people familiar with what we do". I did that for a few years until I decided to quit my job to pursue my true passion,” she recalls. "A strong women that dares to express herself individually suddenly becomes threatening. Anything cultural or artistic … The school is unique in that, a few months ago, it began issuing a diploma that is equal to a degree. The Iranian embassy in Canberra, the Parliament of Iran and the Ministry of Justice did not respond to requests for comment. The poet of the time called on the Mongol ruler to take care of his people, whose living conditions were deteriorating. It's funny, but a big pain for us," Ms Kafasha told the ABC. This tale is unrecognizable to people who live in Iran. The young woman adds that even when abroad, they always have to mind their behaviour: “They [the Iranian authorities] can always hold something against us on our return.”. Mr Rajabian said he would continue defying Iranian laws that banned free artistic expression. The music is only stopped if someone wants to play the guitar or sing. This phenomenon, as well as very limited knowledge about this kind of music, can be attributed to the restrictions that followed the 1979 Revolution. Between censorship and a burgeoning music scene, Iranian rockers are trying to keep to tempo From left to right, Shirin Vaezi, Amir Kharrazi and Amir Shahab, from the group AtriA, after a re-hearsal in their private studio, on 15 September 2018 in Tehran. At Café Blues, in central Tehran, not far from the old American embassy, there is music on all the time. It is a step forward, as Vaezi explains, because “you can’t choose the electric guitar or drums as your main instrument when you study music at university”. Everyone, however, seems to agree that last year was one of the best years for Iranian rock, largely thanks to the holding of the ShabShanbeha Festival (literally, “Saturday evenings”), the kind of event that hasn’t been seen in Iran since the 1979 Revolution: “Every Saturday, except during religious festivals, at least four groups were able to play on stage, whereas under normal circumstances, they would have to bend over backwards to obtain the authorisations,” notes Shahab.