Persian classical music singer Mohamed Reza Shazarian died in Tehran on Thursday for both his artistry and his public opinion with those protesting against the government. He was 80, and had been battling kidney cancer for more than a decade.
His son, Humayun Shazarian, also a classical singer, announced the news with a line on his Instagram page in which Mr. Shazarian found a lonely place in the hearts of Iranians, and also his humility: “The dust under people’s feet flew home to meet his true love. ”
Mr. Shazarian’s appeal was passed on to generations and political groups, and the news of his death sent shockwaves through Iranians around the world. In Tehran, thousands of fans filled the streets outside the hospital where he died – people of all ages, wearing masks due to the epidemic, crying openly and singing some of his famous songs, derived from Persian poetry and embedded in political metaphors.
“The bird of freedom will sing for me, renew my sorrow,” the crowd sang in unison. “Oh God, oh sky, oh nature, turn our dark night into.”
President Hassan Rouhani tweeted that “the grateful people of Iran will always remember this beloved artist and his work.”
Many Iranians took to social media to post music and photos of Mr. Shazarian with messages of condolence to the entire population.
“Iran’s voice is dead, a man who not only touched the heart of every Iranian with the power of his music, but became a healing field. The country was plunged into political injustice,” internationally acclaimed artist Shirin Nasht told The New York Times in a statement. Gone. ”
In 2009, after the presidential election, a movement began in Iran that many believed was fraudulent, Mr. Shazarian broke with tradition and sided with the protesters. The government reacted by trying to block people from listening to their music, but instead it became more popular.
In today’s politically charged environment, with a failing economy, epidemic mismanagement and dissatisfaction in Iran with the recent execution of a wrestler, the memorial rally in Tehran quickly turned into anti-government protests.
Crowds chanted, “Death to the dictator,” “Dictator dies, Shazarian never dies,” and “State TV is our national disgrace.”
Videos posted on social media showed security forces deployed in the area on motorcycles to disperse the crowd and beat them with sticks. A woman is heard screaming, “Don’t hit me, don’t hit me,” a security officer yells at her, “Get lost, get lost.”
Mr. Shajarian was born in 1940 in the northeastern city of Mashhad. From an early age he was trained to read the Qur’an with melody, which stimulated his interest in music. He moved to Tehran as a young man, soon became a teacher and began studying music with a well-known master of classical Persian music.
He began his career singing ballads on the radio. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s ruling clerics banned all forms of music except traditional Persian instruments and classical songs. With his unique mastery of handicrafts, Mr. Shazarian thrives and is widely credited with making classical music organized and accessible to young people.
Many of his accolades include the 1999 UNESCO Picasso Award and the 2006 Mozart Medal for his contribution to the world of music. National Public Radio named him one of the “50 Greatest Voices in the World” in 2010, and in 2014 he was awarded the French National Order of the Legion Hon.
Until the decades after the revolution, Mr. Shazarian was the mainstay of government television and radio. One verse of the Qur’an is referred to as his “Rabina”, when millions of Iranians broke their fast in the evening during the month of Ramadan.
He avoided commenting directly on politics, but his fans had little doubt as to where Mr. Chajian’s political sympathies were. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, his ballad “Bidad” spoke of the advantages, disadvantages, and aspirations that remained elusive.
The concert, called by fans to his concert on Thursday evening, Sahar or Bird F Freedom on his front – his great song was a work in progress for the lost hopes of those seeking freedom, who were in cages like birds.
During the 2009 protests, a short video of Mr. Shajariya was aired online, showing him driving through Tehran traffic. When a fan spots him, he flashes a victory sign and says, “Death to the dictator.”
That year, he performed a song dedicated to the people of Iran, “Put Your Gun Down”, addressing the violent crackdown by peaceful forces against peaceful protesters. Rarely did a protest by a famous artist, he told state radio not to broadcast his voice.
The government tried to silence Mr. Shazarian, and for the rest of his life, he was banned from performing live in Iran or releasing new recordings, and was deported through state media. His popularity grew anyway, and he performed and recorded abroad, but his desire to be allowed to sing in public again in Iran was never granted.
Reporting on his death on Thursday, Iranian state television broadcast his music and image for the first time in 11 years.
Mr. Shazarian’s ceremony created a rare place for Iranians to come together and separate their differences over politics, wealth and religion. Fans showered him with rose petals after each performance.
“The way he ran both his art and his life was to walk the right path and speak for the people. He envisioned his role much bigger than a musician and lived by it, “said Nahid Siamdost, author of The Soundtrack the Revolution: The Politics of Music.
Shri Shazarian will be buried on Saturday in Mashhad, his birthplace, and will be buried in the tomb of the great 17th century poet Abul Qasim Ferdowsi, who wrote the epic “Shahnam” or Book of Kings.
“I am Mohammad Reza Shajarian, a child of Iran,” Mr Shazarian said in a video clip – from a documentary about him on social media on Thursday – widely shared. “My voice is part of the ancient culture of Iran, to remind the people of the world that we have a culture of love, peace and friendship.”
