Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (; , 23 September 1940 – 8 October 2020) was an Iranian
singer
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
and
master
Master, master's or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
In education:
*Master (college), head of a college
*Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline
*Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
(''
Ostad
Ustad, ustadh, ustaz or ustadz (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian language, Persian ''ustād'') is an honorific title used in West Asia, North Africa, Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used in various languages, incl ...
'') of
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 ...
. He was also known for his skills in
Persian calligraphy
Persian calligraphy or Iranian calligraphy () is the calligraphy of the Persian language. It is one of the most revered arts throughout the history of Iran.
History
After the introduction of Islam in the 7th century, Persians adapted the Arabi ...
and
humanitarian
Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...
activities. Shajarian started his singing career in 1959 at
Radio Khorasan, rising to prominence in the 1960s with his distinct singing style.
Shajarian was one of the very few singers who managed to get permission to sing publicly after the 1979 revolution. In fact, right before 1979 there was an abundance of excellent singers like
Iraj
Iraj (; Pahlavi: ērič; from Avestan: , literally "Aryan") is the seventh Shah of the Pishdadian dynasty, depicted in the ''Shahnameh''. Based on Iranian mythology, he is the youngest son of Fereydun. He was killed by his brothers Salm and ...
,
Golpa,
Hayedeh
Ma'soumeh Dadehbala (; April 10, 1942 – January 20, 1990), known professionally as Hayedeh (, ), was an Iranian singer with a contralto vocal range. Known for her wide range of voice, her career spanned over two decades, and she has been widely ...
, whom Shajarian was far from being able to compete with due to lack of talent.
Shajarian's main teachers were
Ahmad Ebadi, Esmaeil Mehrtash, Abdollah Davami, and Nour-Ali Boroumand. He also learned the vocal styles of singers from previous generations, including Reza Gholi Mirza Zelli, Fariborz Manouchehri,
Ghamar Molouk Vaziri, Eghbal Azar and Taj Isfahani. He cited legendary Persian
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 ...
soloist
Jalil Shahnaz as highly influential to his development, indicating that he often tried to mimic Shahnaz's playing style in his singing.
Shajarian collaborated with musicians such as
Parviz Meshkatian,
Mohammad Reza Lotfi,
Hossein Alizadeh
Hossein Alizadeh (; born August 24, 1951) is an Iranian musician, composer, radif-preserver, researcher, teacher, and tar, shurangiz and setar instrumentalist and improviser. He has performed with such musicians as Shahram Nazeri, Mohamm ...
,
Faramarz Payvar,
Dariush Pirniakan, and
Sohrab Pournazeri
Sohrab Pournazeri is an Iranian musician and composer. He plays Kamancheh and Tanbour.
Career
Sohrab Pournazeri, born in 1983, is a musician who plays Tanbour, Kamancheh, and Setar.
Sohrab is the son of Kaykhosro Pournazeri, He joined Sham ...
. He was recognized as a skilled singer in the challenging traditional
Dastgah style. His works also cover some songs of Iranian ethnic music, including
Mazandarani music,
Azeri music,
Kurdish music
Kurdish music (, or ''مۆسیقای کوردی'') refers to music performed in the Kurdish languages and Zaza-Gorani languages. The earliest study of Kurdish music was initiated by the renowned Armenian priest and composer Komitas in 1903, wh ...
and
Lur music.
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in France presented Shajarian with the
Picasso Award in 1999 and with the
UNESCO Mozart Medal in 2006. In 2017, ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' cited him as the "Greatest living maestro of
Persian classical music
Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the art music, classical music of Iran (historically known as ''name of Iran, Persia''). It consists of character ...
".
After coming out in support of the
Iranian Green Movement
The Iranian Green Movement () or Green Wave of Iran (), also referred to as the Persian Awakening or Persian Spring by the western media, refers to a political movement that arose after the 12 June, 2009 Iranian presidential election and lasted ...
and criticizing the Iranian government, he was banned from holding concerts and releasing music.
Early life

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian was born on 23 September 1940 in
Mashhad
Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...
, Iran. His father, Mehdi, was a Quran
qari, as was his grandfather Ali Akbar. His mother was Afsar Shahverdiani, who died in 2007.
He was the oldest of five siblings, and studied singing at the age of five under the supervision of his father by
recitation of the Quran.
Music career
Early work

At the age of 12, he began studying the Persian classical repertoire known as the ''
Radif
In Persian poetry, Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry, Urdu ghazals, the ''radīf'' (from Arabic ; ; ; ; ; ) is the word which must end each line of the first couplet and the second line of all the following couplets. It is preceded by a ''qafiya'' ...
'' without his father's consent as studying and performing music was against his father's religious beliefs. This may have been the reason why he chose the stage name "Siavash Bidakani" in his early career as a singer, which did not last long, and soon he used his real name again. Shajarian started his singing career in 1959 at Radio
Khorasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...
, rising to prominence in the 1960s with his distinct style of singing. Since then his career has included teaching at
Tehran University
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 ...
's Department of Fine Arts, working at National Radio and television, researching Persian/Iranian music, and making numerous recordings.
Music bands
Shajarian was not always in music groups, but he did the vocals for the
Masters of Persian Music
Masters of Persian Music is a Persian classical music Musical ensemble, ensemble (or "Supergroup (music), supergroup") founded in 2000 by four internationally recognized ''ustāds'' (masters) of the genre: vocalist Mohammad-Reza Shajarian; comp ...
with his son
Homayoun Shajarian
Homayoun Shajarian (, born 21 May 1975) is an Iranian singer. Homayoun is the son of Iranian singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, He learned singing from his father and started his musical career in the 1990s.
Early life
Shajarian was born in Te ...
, as well as two other ''ostads'',
Kayhan Kalhor
Kayhan Kalhor (, born on 24 November 1964) is an Iran, Iranian Kurds, Kurdish kamancheh and setar player, and a vocal composer. He has received three Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album nominations. Kalhor has also earned two nom ...
and
Hossein Alizadeh
Hossein Alizadeh (; born August 24, 1951) is an Iranian musician, composer, radif-preserver, researcher, teacher, and tar, shurangiz and setar instrumentalist and improviser. He has performed with such musicians as Shahram Nazeri, Mohamm ...
. He also performed with his daughter
Mojgan Shajarian.
In 2008, he toured the world with the Ava Ensemble, composed of his son Homayoun (
tombak
The tombak (), tonbak () or zarb () is an Iranian goblet drum. It is considered the principal Rhythm in Persian music, percussion instrument of Persian music. The tombak is normally positioned diagonally across the torso, while the player uses ...
and vocals), Hossein Behroozinia (
barbat),
Majid Derakhshani (
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 ...
), Hossain Rezaeenia (
daf
Daf (), also known as dâyere and riq, is an Iranian frame drum musical instrument, also used in popular and classical music in Persian-influenced South and Central Asia, such as in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, many ...
), and
Saeed Farajpouri (
kamanche).
In 2012, he toured with the Shahnaz Ensemble with his daughter Mojgan and other band members. The ensemble is named after master tar musician
Jalil Shahnaz, with a percentage of the proceeds going towards supporting his health care needs.
Masters and students
Shajarian studied with Esmaeil Mehrtash,
Ahmad Ebadi and Nour-Ali Boroumand.
He learned the vocal styles of previous singers such as Hossein Taherzadeh, Reza Gholi Mirza Zelli,
Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri
Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri ( ; (1905 – 5 August 1959), born Qamar Khanum Seyed Hosayn Khan (), commonly known as "Qamar" ( ), was a celebrated Iranian singer, who was also the first woman of her time to sing in public in Iran without wearing a veil. S ...
, Eghbal Azar, and Taj Isfahani.
He started playing the
santour under the instruction of Jalal Akhbari to understand better and perform the traditional repertoire. In 1971, he was introduced to
Faramarz Payvar and took
santour lessons with him. Shajarian also learned
Abolhasan Saba
Abolhasan Saba (; April 15, 1902 – December 19, 1957) was a renowned Iranian composer, violinist, and setar player.
Biography
He was born in Tehran to Abul Qasim Khan ''Kamal ol-Saltaneh'', son of Mohammad Jafar Khan ''Sadr ol-Hekma'', son of ...
's vocal
Radif
In Persian poetry, Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry, Urdu ghazals, the ''radīf'' (from Arabic ; ; ; ; ; ) is the word which must end each line of the first couplet and the second line of all the following couplets. It is preceded by a ''qafiya'' ...
from Payvar.
He also studied under the guidance of master Abdollah Davami, from whom he learned many early Persian songs. Davami also passed on to Shajarian his interpretation of the
Radif.

Shajarian taught many students in the field of singing, some of whom are:
*
Iraj Bastami
* Ali Jahandar
*
Shahram Nazeri
Shahram Nazeri (, ; born 18 February 1950) is a contemporary Iranian tenor of Kurdish origin from Kermanshah, Iran, who sings Sufi music, classical and traditional Kurdish and Persian music. He has been accompanied by some of the masters of Ira ...
* Hesameddin Seraj
* Mozaffar Shafei
* Qasem Rafati
*
Mohammad Esfahani
Mohammad Mahdi Vaezi Esfahani (; born 5 July 1966), better known as Mohammad Esfahani, is an Iranian Persian pop and traditional singer. He graduated from The Medical Sciences University of Iran in 1997, while learning Iranian music from t ...
*
Homayoun Shajarian
Homayoun Shajarian (, born 21 May 1975) is an Iranian singer. Homayoun is the son of Iranian singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, He learned singing from his father and started his musical career in the 1990s.
Early life
Shajarian was born in Te ...
* Ali Rostamian
* Mohsen Keramati
*
Hamid Reza Noorbakhsh
* Sina Sarlak
* Mojtaba Asgari
Creating instruments
Shajarian is the creator of many instruments. The first exhibition of his instruments was held in May 2011, the second in September 2013 at the House of Artists by the Del Avaz Cultural and Artistic Institute.
Significant works

*Raast-Panjgaah concert with
Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Raast-panjgaah (1976).
*Chehre be Chehre with
Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Navaa (1977).
*
Golbang-e Shajarian, Part 1 (Bot-e Chin) features: Ali Akbar Sheida (
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
s),
Fereydoun Shahbazian (Composer),
Faramarz Payvar (Santur),
Houshang Zarif (Tar). Part 2 (Dowlat-e Eshq) features Hassan Yousefzamani (Composer),
Ahmad Ebadi (Setar),
Ali Asghar Bahari (
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 ...
). Poetry by
Hafez
(), known by his pen name Hafez ( or 'the keeper'; 1325–1390) or Hafiz,
“Ḥāfeẓ” designates someoone who has learned the Qurʾān by heart" also known by his nickname Lisan al-Ghaib ('the tongue of the unseen'), was a Persian lyri ...
,
Saadi and
Baba Taher
Baba Tahir or Baba Taher Oryan Hamadani () was an 11th-century dervish poet from Hamadan, Iran who lived during the reign of Tugril of the Seljuk dynasty over Iran. This is almost all that is known of him as he lived a mysterious lifestyle. Alth ...
(1977).
*Eshgh Daanad with
Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Aboo Ataa (1981).
*Aastaan e Jaanaan with
Parviz Meshkatian and Naaser Farhangfar in Bayaat e Zand (Turk) & Sur (1982).
*Peyvande Mehr (album) with
Farhang Sharif (1984).
*Bidaad with
Parviz Meshkatian and the
Aref Ensemble in Homaayoun (1985).
*Be yaad e Aaref with
Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Bayaat e Turk (1986).
*Nava – Morakkab Khaani with
Parviz Meshkatian and the
Aref Ensemble in Navaa, Se-gaah and
Dashti (1986).
*Doud-e-Oud with
Parviz Meshkatian and the
Tehran Symphony Orchestra
The Tehran Symphony Orchestra (TSO, ), founded in 1933, is Iran's oldest and largest symphony orchestra. It was founded as the Municipality Symphony Orchestra by Gholamhossein Minbashian, before entering its modern form under Parviz Mahmoud in 194 ...
in Navaa (1987).
*Dastan with
Parviz Meshkatian and the
Aref Ensemble in Chahaar-Gah (1987).
*Dastgah Chahargah (live version of Dastan) concert with
Parviz Meshkatian and the
Aref Ensemble recorded live in Bonn (1987).
*Ghaasedak with
Parviz Meshkatian and
Homayoun Shajarian
Homayoun Shajarian (, born 21 May 1975) is an Iranian singer. Homayoun is the son of Iranian singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, He learned singing from his father and started his musical career in the 1990s.
Early life
Shajarian was born in Te ...
(1994).
*Dar Khiaal with
Majid Derakhshani in Segaah & Bayaat e Zand (Turk) (1995).
*Zemestaan Ast with
Hossein Alizadeh
Hossein Alizadeh (; born August 24, 1951) is an Iranian musician, composer, radif-preserver, researcher, teacher, and tar, shurangiz and setar instrumentalist and improviser. He has performed with such musicians as Shahram Nazeri, Mohamm ...
and
Keyhan Kalhor in Maahoor and Homaayoun (1999).
*
Night, Silence, Desert (Persian: ''Shab, Sokoot, Kavir'') with
Keyhan Kalhor based on the folk music of
Khorasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...
.
Traditional Crossroads (2000).
*Bi To Be Sar Nemishavad with the
Masters of Persian Music
Masters of Persian Music is a Persian classical music Musical ensemble, ensemble (or "Supergroup (music), supergroup") founded in 2000 by four internationally recognized ''ustāds'' (masters) of the genre: vocalist Mohammad-Reza Shajarian; comp ...
Ensemble in Navaa and Bayaat e Kord (2002).
*Faryaad with the
Masters of Persian Music
Masters of Persian Music is a Persian classical music Musical ensemble, ensemble (or "Supergroup (music), supergroup") founded in 2000 by four internationally recognized ''ustāds'' (masters) of the genre: vocalist Mohammad-Reza Shajarian; comp ...
Ensemble in Raast-panjgaah (2003).
*Devoid Grail with Fereydoun Shahbazian in Mahour and
Dashti (2004).
*Serr-e-Eshgh with
Parviz Meshkatian and Mohammad Mousavi in Maahoor.
*Sepideh Album with
Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Sheyda Ensemble in Maahoor.
*Cheshmeye Noush with
Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Majid Khaladj in Raast-panjgaah.
Politics

Shajarian's Bidaad album was recorded after a three-year hiatus from a commercial recording. The album's lyrics speak of a wonderful place having been reduced to shambles and bloodshed, in which he sings in sadness, "what happened?". When giving a lecture at
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...
, Sacramento on 2 March 2012, he was asked what the lyrics of this song meant. His response made it clear that he chose these
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
based on what happened to the Iranian regime after the revolution – a once beautiful country being reduced to shambles. This is widely considered his first commercial recording meant to represent the voice of an oppressed people in Iran.
Shajarian has indicated support for Iranians
protesting
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
against the 12 June 2009
Iranian presidential election results. When Iran's president,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...
referred to
the protesters as "
dust and trash", Shajarian told a
BBC Persian
BBC Persian () is the Persian language broadcast station and subsidiary of BBC World Service which conveys the latest political, social, economical and sport news relevant to Iran and the world. Its headquarters are in London, United Kingdom.
Pe ...
channel telephone interviewer that he (Shajarian) considered himself the voice of dust and trash: "It is the voice of dust and trash, and it will always remain the voice of dust and trash." He also asked
IRIB
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; ) or Seda va Sima () for short, formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopo ...
(Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) to stop broadcasting his songs. He mentioned that his famous song "Iran, Ey Saraye Omid" (Iran, the land of Hope), has no relation with the current situation of his country.
After Shajarian criticized the government public and sided with the
Green Movement
Green politics, or ecopolitics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy. Wall 2010. p. 12-13. It ...
protesters, the
state broadcaster
State media are typically understood as media outlets that are owned, operated, or significantly influenced by the government. They are distinguished from public service media, which are designed to serve the public interest, operate independent ...
IRIB
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; ) or Seda va Sima () for short, formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopo ...
banned his
work of art
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
, which used to be a fixture of
public broadcasting
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
until then. Even against Shajarian's will, the state TV and
radio stations
Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio signal, audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a lan ...
stopped airing ''
Rabbana'', a
prayer
File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)''
rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...
sung during the Muslim fasting month of
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
heralding the moment of fast-breaking. The
recital had been broadcast regularly every Ramadan since the 1979 revolution but swept from public view after the legendary singer fell out of favor with the establishment. A Shajarian fan in Tehran told
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
Ramadan without ''Rabbana'' was like
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
without Christmas carol. In the elections of
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
and
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
Hassan Rouhani
Hassan Rouhani (; born Hassan Fereydoun, 12 November 1948) is an Iranian peoples, Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. He is also a sharia lawyer ("Wakil"), academic, former diplomat and Islamic cl ...
criticized the ban on broadcasting Shajarian's works and demanded that Shajarian's works be broadcast on television and radio.
In an interview in 2016, Shajarian stated that "my criticism was a mistake of one person, I am not against the republic system. Our music has always been attacked or criticized by a class of religious people. Of course, some of the deviant music can be like this. But the nature of music is not deviant. I myself am fundamentally opposed to deviant music. We accept the clergy and religion".
Lyrics of his song "Language of Fire," issued in September 2009, — "Lay down your gun, Come, sit down, talk, hear. Perhaps the light of humanity will get through to your heart too" —
are thought by some observers to speak "directly to the plainclothes
Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
i militiamen and security forces" who had beaten protesters during recent unrest.
In an interview with
Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh in 2016, Shajarian said that he was not against the
Islamic Republic
The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been used for a s ...
and that his protest was only against one person (
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...
). "We say you have no right to insult the people. This is not a fall with the whole system."
Shajarian continues: "Several years ago, we had a concert in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
with the Aref group, led by the living memory of
Parviz Meshkatian. As soon as we were present on the group stage, they started chanting. They chanted against the
Islamic Republic
The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been used for a s ...
. The children in the group were all upset. When they chanted, we just sat and listened, and they chanted. They saw that we were not doing anything. Some ordinary people who came also shook hands with us to start our work. I also told Parviz to perform the last ballad and then go. We had two parts of the program, in each of which there were five ballads, and we only performed the last ballad, and we got up and went out, and the children brought their instruments. I told the person announcing the program to say behind the microphone. In honor of those who bought tickets and came from far and near, we performed this ballad. And get your money back and go. Later it turned out that the organizer was one of them, so I came backstage and told him as much as I could.
Later life, death and legacy
While in exile, Shajarian privately sat for a series of rare interviews that form the basis of a feature-length documentary entitled ''The Voice of Dust and Ash''. In a leaked clip of the documentary, Shajarian can be heard saying, "I am Mohammad Reza Shajarian, son of Iran. My voice is part of Iran's ancient culture, to remind the people of the world that we have had a culture of love, peace and friendship." The clip went viral on social media twice, once in 2016 and again upon Shajarian's death in 2020. Shot in California and Iran, the interviews occurred shortly before he announced his cancer diagnosis and the rapid deterioration of his health. They now constitute his last public testament.
In March 2016, Shajarian revealed that he had had
kidney cancer
Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, a lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include ...
for the past fifteen years. He appeared with shaved hair in his
Nowrouz congratulation video, published on his YouTube account.
Bahram Beyzai
Bahrām Beyzāêi (also spelt Beizāi, Beyzāêi, Beyzāee, ; born 26 December 1938) is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and '' ostād'' ("master") of Persian letters, arts and Iranian studies.
Beyzaie is the ...
composed a poem after announcement of Shajarian's illness and described it as a sad day in happy days of Nowruz.
Shajarian transferred to hospital on 27 January 2020 and had a successful surgery. He was released from hospital on 25 August but was hospitalized again on 5 October.
Shajarian died on 8 October 2020 at the age of 80 at intensive care unit of
Jam Hospital in Tehran. The cause of his death was not immediately made public.
A private religious ceremony was held following day at
Behesht-e Zahra
Behesht-e Zahra ( ; ) is the largest cemetery in Iran. Located in the southern part of metropolitan Tehran, it is connected to the city by Tehran Metro Line 1.
History
In the early 1950s, all the cemeteries in Tehran were supposed to be replac ...
in Tehran, before his body being transferred to
Mashhad
Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...
. He was buried at the
Tomb of Ferdowsi
The Tomb of Ferdowsi (, ''Ârâmgâh-e Ferdowsi'') is a tomb complex composed of a white marble base, and a decorative edifice erected in honor of the Persian language, Persian poet Ferdowsi located in Tus, Iran, in Razavi Khorasan province. It wa ...
in
Tus, Mashhad, on 10 October.
Personal life
In 1962, Shajarian married teacher Farkhondeh Golafshan when he was 21 years old. They had one son
Homayoun and three daughters, Farzaneh (a.k.a. Raheleh),
Mojgan and Afsaneh. Afsaneh married
Parviz Meshkatian. Shajarian and Golafshan divorced in 1993.
His second marriage was to Katayoun Khansari, sister of his son's wife, in 1995. The couple had one son, Ryan who was born in 1997 in
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, Canada.
Awards and distinctions
*
NIRT Golden Cup (1977)
*
Golden Picasso Medal (1999)
*Nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists between 2004 and 2011 for quality traditional world music albums. The Grammy Awards, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally ...
(2004, 2006)
*Nushin Medal (2008)
*The
UNESCO Mozart Medal (2006)
*One of
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
's
50 great voices
''50 Great Voices'' was an NPR yearlong series from 2010 to 2011 to profile 50 singers who have made their mark internationally and across recorded history, revealing the selected voices one by one, weekly.
Selection process
The stated aim o ...
. (2010)
*French National Order of the Legion of Honour (2014)
*
National Order of Merit (2014)
*
Aga Khan Trust for Culture
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by Aga Khan IV with distinct but complementary mandates to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the develop ...
(2019)
Discography
Released music albums
Some of the following albums are joint works between Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and
Shahram Nazeri
Shahram Nazeri (, ; born 18 February 1950) is a contemporary Iranian tenor of Kurdish origin from Kermanshah, Iran, who sings Sufi music, classical and traditional Kurdish and Persian music. He has been accompanied by some of the masters of Ira ...
or Homayoun Shajarian. Among these works are composers such as
Mohammad-Reza Lotfi
Mohammad-Reza Lotfi (; 1 January 1947 – 2 May 2014) was an Iranian classical musician renowned for his mastery of the tar and setar. He collaborated with singers such as Mohammad-Rezā Shajarian, Hengameh Akhavan, Shahram Nazeri and Alireza ...
,
Parviz Meshkatian,
Hossein Alizadeh
Hossein Alizadeh (; born August 24, 1951) is an Iranian musician, composer, radif-preserver, researcher, teacher, and tar, shurangiz and setar instrumentalist and improviser. He has performed with such musicians as Shahram Nazeri, Mohamm ...
and
Faramarz Payvar.
* ''Robaeiat-e Khayyam'' (1972)
* ''Chavosh 1 (Be Yad-e Aref)'' (1977)
* ''Golbang-e Shajarian'' (1978)
* ''Chavosh 2'' (1978)
* ''Sepideh (Chavosh 6)'' (1979)
* ''Chavosh 7'' (1979)
* ''Jan Jan (Chavosh 9)'' (1979)
* ''Raz-e Del'' (1979)
* ''Entezar-e Del'' (1979)
* ''Peyvand-e Mehr'' (1984)
* ''Astan-e Janan'' (1985)
* ''Bidad'' (1985)
* ''Serr-e Eshgh (Mahoor)'' (1986)
* ''Nava, Morakabkhani'' (1986)
* ''Dastan'' (1988)
* ''Saz-e Ghese Goo'' (1988)
* ''Dood-e Ood'' (1989)
* ''Del-e Majnoon'' (1990–1991)
* ''Khalvatgozideh'' (1991)
* ''Payam-e Nasim'' (1991)
* ''Sarv Chaman'' (1991)
* ''Asman-e Eshgh'' (1991)
* ''Delshodegan'' (1992)
* ''Yad-e Ayyam'' (1992)
* ''Cheshmeye Noosh'' (1993)
* ''Bahariyeh'' (1994)
* ''Gonbad-e Mina'' (1994)
* ''Jan-e Oshagh'' (1995)
* ''Peygham-e Ahl-e Del'' (1995)
* ''Dar Khial'' (1996)
* ''Rosvaye Del'' (1996)
* ''Eshgh Danad'' (1997)
* ''Shab-e Vasl'' (1997)
* ''Moamaye Hasti'' (1997)
* ''Chehreh Be Chehreh'' (1998)
* ''Shab, Sokout, Kavir'' (1998)
* ''Aram-e Jan'' (1998)
* ''Ahang-e Vafa'' (1999)
* ''Booye Baran'' (1999)
* ''Zemestan Ast'' (2001)
* ''Bi To Besar Nemishavad'' (2002)
* ''Faryad'' (2002)
* ''Hamnava Ba Bam'' (2003)
* ''Jam-e Tohi'' (2004)
* ''Saz-e Khamoosh'' (2007)
* ''Sorood-e Mehr'' (2007)
* ''Ghoghaye Eshghbazan'' (2007)
* ''Konsert-e Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Va Gorooh-e Ava'' (2008)
* ''Konsert-e Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Va Gorooh-e Shahnaz (Randan-e Mast Va Morgh-e Khoshkhan)'' (2008)
* ''Ah Baran'' (2009)
* ''Zaban-e Atash'' (2009)
* ''Randan-e Mast'' (2009)
* ''Konsert-e Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Va Gorooh-e Shahnaz Dar Dubai'' (2010)
* ''Morgh-e Khoshkhan'' (2011)
* ''Ranghaye Taali'' (2013)
* ''Tarigh-e Eshgh'' (2016)
* ''Khorasaniat'' (2019)
* ''Deylaman'' (Unknown date)
Film title singer
* ''
Love-stricken
''Love-stricken'' () is a 1992 Iranian cinema, Iranian historical drama film directed by Ali Hatami. The movie is mainly about some Iranian traditional music, Iranian classical musicians in Qajar dynasty, Ghajar era and their struggle to release t ...
'' (1991)
* ''Abjad'' (2002)
* ''It is Winter'' (2005)
See also
*
List of Iranian musicians
This is a list of Iranian (Persian people, Persian) musicians and musical groups.
Classical
Persian classical/traditional
* Mirza Abdollah
* Maryam Akhondy
* Nematollah Aghasi
* Salar Aghili
* Azam Ali
* Hossein Alizadeh
* Hossein Khajeh A ...
*
Music of Iran
The music of Iran encompasses music produced by Iranian artists. In addition to the traditional folk and classical genres, it also includes pop and internationally celebrated styles such as jazz, rock, and hip hop.
Iranian music influenced oth ...
*
National Iranian Symphony Orchestra
References
Additional sources
*Laudan Nooshin, in ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', edited by Stanley Sadie, second edition (Macmillan, London, 2001). . (Oxford University Press, 2001). .
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shajarian, Mohammad-Reza
1940 births
2020 deaths
20th-century Iranian male singers
21st-century Iranian male singers
Academic staff of the University of Tehran
Deaths from cancer in Iran
Deaths from kidney cancer in Iran
Iranian classical musicians
Iranian classical singers
Iranian folk singers
Iranian music educators
Iranian santur players
Musicians from Mashhad
Persian-language singers of Iran
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Singers awarded knighthoods