Voicing their presence: Postrevolution Iranian female vocalists in context

Abstract

Contemporary female musicians and vocalists in Iran represent a challenging and inspiring musical trend as a part of a dynamic and reflexive artistic and cultural wave. This trend could be compared to a trend in the first half of the 20th century in Iran, which opened the first chapter in the history of women asserting their presence and their voice as female musicians in public spaces, exemplified in the work of Qamar al-Moluk Vaziri. This article analyzes these two trends in their social and cultural contexts and explores the efforts of postrevolution female vocalists to assert their presence in musical realms. Addressing these issues in the context of political, religious, and cultural constraints, the article examines the agency of female musicians and vocal performers in the long history of women’s struggles for self-expression and voicing their presence in public spaces and on the national stage.

Notes

¹ It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss theological disagreements and competing religious interpretations about the status of music in various Islamic traditions (see Youssefzadeh, 2004). Regardless of those competing views, it is clear that various musical practices have always been a part of Iranian culture.

² Such as Ekram al-Dowleh, Zivar Soltan, and Taj al-Saltaneh.

³ In this period, women’s activities took the form of women’s journals, women’s associations, and opening schools for girls.

⁴ Such as some musical programs, organized by the Brotherhood Society (Anjoman-e Okhovat), and the concerts that were held at the Grand Hotel.

⁵ Among the most important concerts, before Qamar, were those held by Abolqassem Arfe Qazini (known as Aref, 1882–1934), a poet, social critic, lyricist, and musician who played and sang his own poems. Aref, like Shaida (his predecessor lyricist), was among the pioneers of Iranian lyricism in modern times who, in addition to writing poems, knew and performed music.

⁶ For Vaziri’s life and his accomplishments see Ruhallah Khaleqi (1956), History of Iranian Music [Sargozasht-e musiqi-ye Iran], Tehran. See Mojtaba Khoshzamir’s (1979) Ali Naqi Vaziri and His Influence on Music and Music Education in Iran, EdD thesis, University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign.

⁷ Vaziri returned to Iran from Europe and accomplished much for Iranian art music, including opening a music institute in 1923, a musical club, and a female music school. He also organized concerts, established cinema for women, and delivered lectures on the right of women’s participation in cultural and art activities (see Khoshzamir, 1979).

⁸ These are religious ceremonies (which include vocal performance) held in Iran each year to commemorate the battle Karbala, in which Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and a group of his followers and relatives were massacred, in 61 AH.

⁹ Quoted by Sasan Sepanta, an Iranian musician, cited in Khaleqi (1994, p. 27).

¹⁰ A lute with a long neck with six strings.

¹¹ She sang the poems and lyrics of the prominent social critic poets and lyricists such as Aref, Iraj Mirza, Malak ul Sho’ara Bahar, Mirzadeh Eshqi, and Amir Jahed.

¹² The interviews and memoirs of those who lived in the same period of Qamar’s lifetime are full of stories about her generosity. These narratives show that she gave enormous help to the orphans and those in need. She also allocated the benefits of many of her concerts to those who suffered from famine, fire, and earthquakes. As Aboul Qasem Zand recounted, once Umm Kulthum invited Qamar to go to Egypt, but she replied that if she went she would not able to pay monthly allowances that she was paying to a group of people (Khaleqi, 1994, p. 229). Among her donations to art and cultural projects we may mention that in August 1930 she gave a concert for the project of building the Ferdowsi’s tomb and she donated most of what she received to this project. Regarding support for the needy intellectuals, for example, she held a concert in Hamadan at the presence of Aref, giving him a part of what she received.

¹³ There are different and even opposing views on the nature of modernization policy of Reza Shah. However, there is consensus that he (intentionally or unintentionally) paved the way for opening up public space for women’s expressions and their advancement.

¹⁴ This nostalgic song, which refers to social injustice and highlights human freedom, has been sung by several famous male and female Iranian vocalists. The popularity of the song has continued until today because of its broad references to social and political repression.

¹⁵ At times the government reacted against these records, such as the March of the Republic, which was confiscated.

¹⁶ See Sharafkhani (1380/2001, pp. 93–155) and Shari’at Musavian (1372/1993, p. 102). See also Kabaronline, “Is female singing prohibited?,” at http://www.khabaronline.ir/detail/320418/culture/5266

¹⁷ During the last three and half decades it has become clear that as long as music is not overtly political the government tends to be more tolerant toward such music.

¹⁸ Compulsory veiling was also enforced in several steps after the revolution.

¹⁹ The Tehran Symphony Orchestra, as the oldest and largest symphony orchestra in the country, was founded in 1933. The orchestra held many great concerts and in the last decade before the revolution it flourished impressively.

²⁰ Some of the female hamkhani performers of this period were Pari Maleki, Sheida Jahed, Najmeh Tajadod, and Malihe Saeedi.

²¹ Faegheh Atashin Googush, born in 1950 in Tehran, started singing when she was only 5 years old, and became a pop star during the Shah. She resumed her musical life outside Iran after she left the country in 1997. Since then, she has given numerous concerts in various countries, which were well received by Iranians, as her music is deemed nostalgic by many Iranians.

²² Wendy DeBano (2005) has analyzed advantages and disadvantages of state-sponsored female only audience music festivals.

²³ I witnessed this relaxed atmosphere in a concert that I attended. In this event, while the performers and most of the audiences were unveiled, they were interacting with each other. The group performed both classic and folk music and audiences got excited and asked for more rhythmic songs. The musical group was Aya—ye Sahra [Desert Sound], which stars Elham Karimi, the setar player and solo singer, and the concert took place in Niavaran Cultural Center, on September 4, 2015.

²⁴ During the decades prior to the election of Ahmadinejad a certain selected Western music was heard from Iranian state television (e.g., George Michael, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, and Kenny G).

²⁵ “Hussain Alizadeh Talked of Hope in Silver Harbor Center” [Hussain Alizadeh dar Silver Harbor az Omid Goft] http://www.musicema.com/node/236903, accessed September 12, 2015.

²⁶ Pari Saberi (b. 1932) studied theatre and cinematography in France. In 1998 she founded a theatre group in Tehran to teach dramatic and performing arts. She has produced many musical plays, which are mostly cantered on stories of Persian classic poetry such as Rostam and Sohrab from Ferdowsi, and lyrical plays based on verses from Attar, Mowlana, and Hafez.

²⁷ Masoud Lavasani, “Iranian Singers Push Boundaries, Face Restriction,”http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/03/iran-female-solo-singers.html

²⁸ He studied string instruments and composition at Tehran University. Being interested in exposing Western people to Iranian music, he opened a music center for Persian Classical music called Nawa Musikzentrum in Germany, where he lived for many years. He included European music elements in Iranian music pieces, leading to development of a new style.

²⁹ Such as the prominent Iranian musician and vocalists, Mohammad Reza Shajarian (Album Dar Khial).

³⁰ These female singers include Sahar Mohamadi, Mahdieh Mohammadkhani, and H. Khalili.

³¹ These are some of the female instrumentalists: Nazanin Ghanizadeh plays the kamancheh, Sara Rezazadeh and Hasti Farahi play the tar, Sahar Kamalvand plays the robab, Zahara Ranypur plays the daf, Siva Ahmadi Sepehr plays the oud, and Hananeh Saidi plays the Qanoon.

³² Their style of clothing is mostly inspired by Iranian regional ethnic groups’ cultures.

³³ The lyrics were written by Pejman Bakhtiari, and Naydavud played the tar for Qamar’s performance.