TEHERAN (dpa) – “I was death but now awakened/I was tears but now laughter/Thank you, government of love” – those are the lyrics to “Government of Love” written by Iranian rock artist Babak Amini.
The song reflected the Iranian people’s mood of hope following the presidency of Mohammad Khatami in 1997 and the resurrection of the rock music era in Islamic Iran after almost two decades.“Khatami brought about not only a political but also a cultural renaissance in which even rock music could get rid of its taboo status,” said the 28-year-old Hooman Javid, a rock musician in Teheran who helped produce “Government of Love” number.Iran’s pop music scene is still dominated by musicians making music in the Iranian exile-haven of Los Angeles, California. The music they produce is, however, illegal and only sold on the black market in Iran.But despite the revival, rock musicians in Iran have an uphill struggle because of stringent Islamic norms which are as valid as they ever were.Composer Amini left the country for L.A. where he joined the exiled Iranian pop clan and also worked with pop diva Gugush before leaving for Canada. Amini, regarded as one of the greatest music talents in the post-revolution era, is not expected to return.Javid’s rock-quartet, “Raze’ Shab”, the Secret of Night, a blend of 1970s progressive rock with a dash of Carlos Santana-like Latin sound, has stayed in Iran but he has had to pay the price for being a rock musician.“We are not permitted to sing in English, therefore we not only have to transfer the rock music into Persian but remain emotionally indifferent to the rhythms,” Javid said.He was referring to a live-performance last October in Teheran, after which he was summoned to the culture ministry, which is in charge of music affairs. Javid had apparently moved his body “too provocatively” inciting the audience, including females, to sing and clap their hands.“I told the guys that I am singing in a rock band, not in a school chorus,” Javid said.In order to get a permit to make a music album, artists must scale what Javid calls, the “Stairway to Heaven”, a reference to one of rock superstar Led Zeppelin’s best-known tunes.The culture ministry has to carefully check the lyrics, then the demo tape, the final tape and finally the album cover. Strict local guidelines are applied at all stages.The next dilemma is the copyright which must be granted to a company affiliated to the administration, making the company the sole owner of the album. A private production is extremely difficult and requires good connections.The band Raze’ Shab received some 700 dollars for its album and the company could multiple that amount within a short time through sales of the cassettes. Two of Javid’s band members have since decided to emigrate to Canada.Classical musicians are equally frustrated.A young female harp player – there are fewer than five of them in Iran – was ejected from a cultural centre by a guard while practicing her instrument. The music was un-Islamic, she was told. The embittered girl has decided to emigrate to Europe and continue her music studies.“I have personally told Mr. Khatami that if no changes are made to the restrictions, then the country will soon have no musicians left,” said Javid, who presented the president in January last year with a copy of his first CD “Own Shadow”. It was meant as a sign of appreciation for Khatami’s contribution to musical development.But even the much criticised culture ministry, a rather moderate body, is not fully in control of the music scene. Its decisions must be in line with the Islamic establishment.“We really try to open the doors … the youngsters are aware of our problems (with the hardliners) and should not jeopardise the improving status quo by speeding up the complicated process,” said an official responsible for Teheran’s Vahdat music venue, adding: “What all of us must have is patience.”Javid however, whose idol is Elvis Presley, has no intention of giving up: “I will stay here and keep hoping that one day I’ll be able to stage an open air rock concert in a sold-out stadium where more than 100,000 people can freely freak out,” he said.
