Mara Beboos
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Mara Beboos (Persian: مرا ببوس which means kiss me) is a
musical composition Musical composition can refer to an Originality, original piece or work of music, either Human voice, vocal or Musical instrument, instrumental, the musical form, structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new pie ...
with poetry by " Heydar Raqabi" and music by "Majid Vafadar". Initially performed by a Qashqai singer named "Batool Rezaei" with the stage name "Parvaneh" using the artistic name, but it gained fame and longevity through the rendition by "Hassan Golnaraghi," a renowned and enduring performer. This composition, in the
Bayat-e Esfahan Bayat-e Esfahan (Persian: بیات اصفهان) is one of melodic pieces of Iranian traditional music, known as a branch of Dastgah-e Shur or Dastgah-e Homayun. Some musical theorists consider the Bayat-e Esfahan an independent dastgah within t ...
, accompanied by the violin of "
Parviz Yahaghi Parviz Yahaghi (; September 23, 1935 – February 2, 2007) was a distinguished Iranian composer and violinist. He resided in Tehran for practically his whole life, and was born and died there. Biography His birth name was Parviz Sedighi Parsi. ...
" and the piano of "Moshir Homayoun Shahrdar", has become one of the enduring pieces in
Persian traditional music Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the classical music of Iran (historically known as '' Persia''). It consists of characteristics developed through ...
. The lyrics of "Mara Beboos" are part of Heydar Raqabi's poetry collection titled "آسمان اشک," (sky of tears) published in 1950–51 by "
Amir Kabir Publishers Amir Kabir Publishers (; Entišarat-e Amir Kabir; also romanized as ''Amir-Kabir'' or ''Amar-i Kabir'') is a publishing house based in Tehran, Iran. It was founded on November 19, 1949, by Abdorrahim "Taghi" Jafari. It is named after Mirza Tagh ...
". In 1956, the song was featured in the film "اتهام " with the vocals of a singer named "Parvaneh," but it did not receive much attention. Subsequently, after the events of the "
1953 Iranian coup d'état The 1953 Iranian coup d'état, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup d'état (), was the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh on 19 August 1953. Led by the Iranian army and supported by the United States and the United Kingdom, the co ...
", the song "Mara Beboos" was broadcast for the first time on "Radio Iran" under a pseudonym. After the 1953 Iranian coup d'état on
Radio Iran Radio Iran () is the oldest radio station in Iran. It was established by order of Reza Pahlavi in the Kolah Ferangi mansion under the supervision of the Ministry of War on 1940. It is owned and operated by the government-owned Islamic Republic o ...
, the program "شما و رادیو" (You and Radio), hosted by "Kamal Mostajab al-Da'vah," was broadcast. Before playing the song, "Mostajab al-Da'vah" announced: "This composition has been recorded in a private session, and due to its unique appeal, we are taking the initiative to broadcast it." The term "private session" refers to the recording session of this song with the voice of "Golnaraghi" in Studio No. 8 of
Radio Tehran Radio Tehran () is a radio station in Tehran, Iran, broadcasting content directed mainly at Tehran and Tehran Province. It is fully owned and operated by the Iranian government through the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting The Islamic Rep ...
. Various singers, including "Alireza Hosseinkhani," a singer and
Kamancheh The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) (, , , ) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, and Uzbek music with slight variations in the structure of the instrument. Th ...
player from the
Lurs The Lurs, Lors or Luris () are an Iranian people living in western and southern Iran. The four Luri branches are the Bakhtiari, Mamasani, Kohgiluyeh and Lur proper, who are principally linked by the Luri language. Lorestan province is name ...
community, also performed this piece in the 1960s. "Mara Beboos" has endured as a song of resistance, representing the final hours before execution, a cry against the coup, and suffocation in the history of Iran. ''Abdulrahim Jafari'' claims that "Heydar Raqabi" wrote this poem for a girl he loved, and its composition has no connection to the execution of Colonel Siyamak. According to individuals like "
Ali Tajvidi Ali Tajvidi (; November 7, 1919 – March 15, 2006) was an Iranian musician, composer, violinist, songwriter, and music professor at the School of National Music and Tehran University. He composed more than 150 songs and discovered and produced for ...
", "
Parviz Yahaghi Parviz Yahaghi (; September 23, 1935 – February 2, 2007) was a distinguished Iranian composer and violinist. He resided in Tehran for practically his whole life, and was born and died there. Biography His birth name was Parviz Sedighi Parsi. ...
", and " Aziz Motazedi", the music of "Mara Beboos" is inspired by an ancient Greek melody.


Different beliefs and more

There are various beliefs regarding the creation and singing of this song. For instance, Parviz Khatibi, the playwright, satirist, and well-known program maker at Radio Iran, writes in his memoir collection titled "Memories of Artists," published in a book called "Memories of Artists," about the recording of the song "Mara Beboos." He mentions: "... One day, when the members of the large Radio orchestra had gathered in Studio 8, waiting for
Ruhollah Khaleqi Ruhollah Khaleqi ( ; 1906 – 12 November 1965) was a prominent Iranian composer, conductor and author. He is best known for composing the patriotic song " Ey Iran". He was the father of Golnoush Khaleghi—Iran's first female conductor. Ea ...
, Hassan Golnaraghi came to meet Parviz Yahaghi. Hassan, the son of a reputable market trader, had friendships with most artists... They guide him to the studio, where Parviz Yahaghi is playing the violin, and one of the musicians is playing the piano for the song 'Mara Beboos.' Parviz, looking at Golnaraghi, says: Listen to this song! Golnaraghi listens to the song a couple of times, humming it quietly to himself. Meanwhile, the person in charge of recording the music program, sitting behind the equipment, starts the machine and records the piece without anyone noticing. Golnaraghi, focused on his own work, goes about his business, and the person in charge of recording sends the recorded tape to Moeinian, the head of Radio Publications. When Moeinian and other officials listen to the tape, they decide to broadcast it and share the story with Parviz Yahaghi. Parviz says this will cost Golnaraghi dearly because he comes from a well-known religious family, and his father strongly opposes artistic activities. It is decided to invite Golnaraghi to the radio office and discuss the matter with him. Golnaraghi comes, confirms Yahaghi's statements, but due to the insistence of friends, agrees to broadcast the tape without mentioning the name, using an alias for the unknown singer..." These statements are published in the "
Shargh ''Shargh'' (; also as ''Sharq'') is one of the most popular Reformist daily newspapers in Iran. The owner iMehdi Rahmanian the editor-in-chief of the newspaper iAli Dehghanand the editor-in-chief of online iSina Rahimpour History and profil ...
" newspaper without verifying the accuracy of this narrative, which remains mostly a detective story in Tehran itself, from "Parviz Yahaghi." In the book "Artistic Memoirs" by Ismail Navaab Safa, a contemporary songwriter published under the name "The Story of the Candle," we read another account about the recording of this song. He cites Abbas Foroutan, who was in charge of the "You and Radio" program, which aired on Fridays on the radio in 1957, and writes: "... One day, Mr. Mehdi Sohili, who was friends with Mr. Golnaraghi, brought him to me and said that Mr. Majid Vafadar had created an interesting song with lyrics by Mr. Heydar Raqebi, and Mr. Golnaraghi performs it very well. When they performed it, I realized that it was a new and very interesting piece and very suitable for broadcasting on your program. Mr. Vafadar was not present, but Mr. Mashayi Homayun and Parviz Yahaghi were there. After rehearsal, Mr. Golnaraghi, along with Mashayi Homayun on the piano and Yahaghi on the violin, performed it for the first time, and it was broadcast on radio on Friday and received a lot of attention..." The song "Mara Beboos" with Golnaraghi's voice was not recorded and performed again. Whatever it was and is, it is the same version that was recorded in Studio 8 of Radio Iran, in Ark Square, Tehran. During those days, people said and believed that Colonel Ezzatollah Siamak, one of the leaders of the Military Organization of the Iranian Tudeh Party, had composed this sad yet exhilarating song, describing the tragic fate of officers being executed, just before his execution on October 18, 1954, in prison. Some believed that the second artillery colonel, Mohammad Ali Mobasheri, another member of the leadership of this organization, had composed this song, describing Colonel Siamak during his last meeting with his daughter on the night before the execution. Although later Golnaraghi, the singer of this song, in an interview with Iraj Tabibi Gilani in the magazine "Roshanfekr," after denying this claim for the first time, stated that the poet of this song is Heydar Raqebi, one of the professors in the literature department of the
University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...
. In the
Encyclopedia Iranica An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries that are arranged alphabetically by artic ...
, it is mentioned: When Raqebi saw his friend Vafadar for the last time before leaving the country, Vafadar asked him to write a poem for the music he had recently composed. Raqebi began to write and promised to finish it before leaving the country. After spending the last night with his girlfriend, he called from the airport and dictated the poem he had written for Vafadar, full of vibrant and emotional words.


Song lyrics

Kiss me, kiss me For the last time, may God keep you as I go towards destiny Our spring has passed, the past is gone, and I am in search of destiny In the midst of the storm, a pact with the sailors Passing through life requires passing through storms In the middle of the night, I make pacts with my beloved Setting fires ablaze in the mountains Tonight, I'll travel through the dark, tread the path of darkness Look, my flower, tears of sorrow on my eyelashes, shed for me Beautiful girl tonight, I am your guest, I'll stay in front of you until you put your lips on mine Beautiful girl, with the lightning of your gaze, your innocent tears, brighten my night tonight The star of the man at the dawn, like an angel, my companion, casting a glance all around, Swayed among the celestial beings. In his last look, an innocent gaze, he sang his last song. While I, from now on, have a heart on a different path. I have a different excitement, a different fervor in my head. In the bright morning, I must take that heart away because a bloody promise with a brighter morning I have...has Kiss me This farewell kiss Smells of blood


Singer

This work was initially performed by a singer called "Parvaneh" with the artistic name Parvaneh, but it did not gain public popularity. However, with Hassan Golnaraghi's performance, it took on a different color and became a lasting piece. Batoul Razavi, or Mrs. Mouchoul, was born in 1910 in
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
, into a family of Qashqai from
Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
. She played the
sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...
,
tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black b ...
, and sang
Persian traditional music Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the classical music of Iran (historically known as '' Persia''). It consists of characteristics developed through ...
. She was the first person to record the sound of the sitar and sing simultaneously. She took up singing at the court of the
Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...
under "''Ekrām-al-Dowleh''" and was also a disciple of "''Reza Qoli-Khan Nowruzi''". She recorded about 10 pages of music in the winter of 1927, capturing the sound of the sitar and her singing in the corners of Zabol and Mansoori. She died due to tuberculosis in 1933. She is buried in the
Ibn Babawayh Cemetery Ibn Babawayh cemetery ( or ), also spelled as Ebn-e Babviyeh, Ebn-e Babooyeh, is located in Iran in the town of Rey (which is now inside Greater Tehran metropolitan area). About The cemetery is named after Shia scholar Ibn Babawayh (d.991 CE) ...
in the south of Tehran. Her only child was a daughter named "Aghdas" who later, as an artist, sang like her mother using the artistic name "
Khatereh Parvaneh Khatereh Parvaneh (1930 – 5 November 2008 in Persian: خاطره پروانه) was an Iranian singer who specialized in traditional classical music. Biography Parvaneh was the daughter of Banoo Machol Parvaneh, a royal court singer in Iran ...
". Hassan Golnaraghi was born in 1921 in ''Abshar Street'', ''Rey Street'' in
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
. After completing his high school education, he engaged in his father's business of buying and selling antique glass and china. He gradually became a valuable expert in the field of antique studies, and practitioners in this field accepted his opinion. Hassan Golnaraghi had a short and medium-sized business for years in the glassware sellers' market in
Tehran Bazaar The Grand Bazaar () is a bazaar, located in Central Tehran, Iran. Split into several corridors that are over in length, each specializing in different types of goods, the bazaar has several entrances, with Sabze Meydan being the main entrance. ...
. He was satisfied and honest in his work and was respected by glass and china merchants until the end of his life. He had a tall stature, white hair, and spoke calmly. Hassan Golnaraghi was a non-professional singer, and with the song "Mara Beboos," his name was included in the list of Iranian singers. Another song remaining from him is "Setare-ye Mard" (man star ) which never reached the popularity of the song "Mara Beboos." He passed away in 1993 aged 72. When a memorial ceremony was held for him in Tehran, the gathering of intellectuals who participated in his memorial was more than the merchants and small traders of the traditional market of Iran who had reached the government.


Poet

"Heydar Raqabi," also known as Heydar Ali Raqabi, with the pseudonym "Haleh," was a political activist in Iran during the 1950s. His father, was a supporter of "
Mohammad Mosaddegh Mohammad Mosaddegh (, ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, elected by the 1950 Iranian legislative election, 16th Majlis. He was a membe ...
, and cashier in an expensive restaurant, and his mother was related to "Bijan Taraghi," a famous songwriter. Politically, Heydar was considered a nationalist with active engagement. He passed away at the end of the 1980s. In reading the description that "Bijan Taraghi" has of "Heydar Raqabi," we see that his political activities are mostly portrayed as "scattering the opposition's gatherings" and "repeatedly getting injured and ending up in the hospital." با چراغ ترانه درکوچه باغ خاطره
* خاطراتی از هنرمندان، پرویز خطیبی، به کوشش فیروزه خطیبی * قصهٔ شمع، خاطرات هنری اسماعیل نواب صفا * مجید وفادار، هفته‌نامه «تهران مصور» شماره ۱۴۱۸، ۱۱ آذر ماه ۱۳۴۹


References

{{Reflist Songs in Persian 1950 songs Songs about kissing Songs about parting