A letter from Misagh - living in Iran
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My name is Misagh , I'm 22 years old from the land that was one day home of the history , culture and freedom , that's IRAN. I'm a young drummer and I play drums in rock and metal styles with the existing ethical limitations and prohibitions for music in Islamic Republic of Iran according to Islamic commands. Even so we can't make a band because finding a place for band practicing is so difficult and whenever I and other musicians wanted to organize rock band for many reasons like chidings of neighbors or other people to sounds of practicing and threat us to calling police and Islamic forces, so we were forced to stop it. Activities of rock and metal bands from the viewpoint of law for many reasons I'll say it is completely forbidden and if people do this they will be arrested. One of the roots and reasons behind this prohibitions is that the music forbidden by Islam religion entirely and when as long as Islamic revolution succeeded in Iran, activities of music got a lot of bad problems and prohibitions. As in early years of after Islamic revolution most of famous Iranian singers left Iran and continued their performances and musical careers outside of Iran until today, but with over those dark early years of Islamic revolution and due to progress in media and development of this field, eyes of youth has been opened to the world and they have been familiar with new world so government take a few retreat from those religionist positions about music as people who only want to singing and writing songs or in pop , classic or Iranian traditional music under severe control and must not have any contradictions about Islam or government politics and also opposite view about government in the music and words. Then they can publish their music officially and legally and also they can perform concerts as long as fans or singer aren't doing any dancing or alcohol drinking in during of the concert all of fans must be sitting down. (Alcohol drinking is forbidden in Iran entirely) and But in situation of rock & metal music and also hip hop music I have to say they are completely forbidden and any activities about these styles like playing, publishing, or public performance are illegal and interested people and musicians to these styles must to record their own songs in secretly and in the underground studios with a lot of fear about arresting ... and publish their albums among youths and their fans, hand to hand or via blocked websites or music blogs. And for concert they have to find or rent a secretly and hidden place with good capacity for invite fans and friends with very low cost tickets and also weak sounds and voice equipment and on the other side if even one religion or anti-music person call the police and report for nosing or underground concert police will be attack there quickly and arrest all of people that were there and restrain their music instruments also they will be imprisoned... Somebodies leave Iran for getting freedom in recording their rock, metal albums and performances, that due a lot problems and barriers to exit for young people, its expensive alternative way and most of people don't think about this . Reasons of this limitations about rock and metal music in Iran are for getting bad mentality in duration of researching and watching our music and art authorities about rock- metal music that they viewed evil and terrible make-up's and appearances of many band or singers like slipknot or Marilyn Manson or ... and seeing and listening their content of musics and words about evil praying , blood drinking , death and publishing other such things... and they notified these kind of musics are with contents of anti-Islamic values , for evil prayers and its injections of our enemies to our young ages, therefore result of this situation and researching was doing pressure and boycotts any activities about rock and metal music in Iran until now and even government make TV documentaries named " shock" by collecting terrible and evil pictures and videos of many such bands and show them on official and most viewed TV channels of Iran over and over ... for destruct public opinions about rock and metal music. As when I say to common people (not educated or Intellectual) that I'm rocker most of them quickly ask me are you blood drinker ? Are you evil prayer? Are u… ? And the other side HIP HOP and RAP music is also forbidden in Iran because of having protest atmosphere in words and singing, as you know and see any protests to everything about laws or government or … are forbidden in Iran like protests since 7 month ago until now about fraud in last presidential election and world watched that how Islamic regime shot and killed and beaten Innocent protesters to answer their Peaceful requests and also they retreat people to execution for continuing protests.. By the way, according to one of orders of the Quran (the Muslim holy book) and Islamic republic laws, female singing is banned and also hearing to voice of women singers is absolutely unlawful and forbidden for men. The fact that women singers are not allowed to sing in front of men in public. So with blow over 31 years from Islamic revolution we still have no official female singer in Iran, women can only sing for other women and They are allowed to sing in choirs or accompany other male singers in groups. Recently released a movie by Iranian movie director Bahman Ghobadi and publishing and watching this movie does forbidden by ministry of culture and authorities because a subject was about musician problems and prohibitions in Iran, so it's published in across of Europe and world. I suggest to watch this movie that all who reading this article and after it give thanks to God for they weren't born in Iran. My confabulation at all is importing , selling ,buying, listening, publishing of CD's or DVD's of rock and metal bands either national and foreign or all world's women singers are absolutely forbidden and not available at the stores. Also TV channels not allowed to showing any video clips even showing music instruments so most of rock and metal fans have to get the music they like via internet and free downloading although many albums aren't available for free downloading often and they will be in sigh. My story about finding AXXIS is when I was searching for a classical guitar song, named "Asturias" in 4shared.com website. When I entered "Astoria" keyword, among the results I found a track named "11-Astoria" which I downloaded that ,afterwards I think I found the track I wanted ! after listening to that track, soon I realized that the track is a heavy metal song and its not what I was looking for but I must say I loved that track and listened it over and over for hundreds of times then I started searching for owner of this song and I got know the AXXIS and I entered to the new world of my favorites heavy , power metal music's , in the past I listened to many heavy metal songs but I've never liked them but I think AXXIS attracted me for singularity Bernhard singing and excellent band playing . As I said before there is no original foreigner CD's at the stores here to buying and also most of international banking services like PAYPAL - VISA CARD - MASTER CARD .... and many POSTING services did boycott Iran like a lot of other trades and services and etc.. that world did boycotts to Iran for our nuclear program and other our government political mistakes. So evem I couldn't buy albums by internet and finally with shame I forced to downloading all of AXXIS albums for free and enjoyed them although by broking tens of our internet service blockings. I'm happy always that I found AXXIS till sometimes I could get some enjoy in my depressing life and forget griefs, most of AXXIS song are great but I like many of them more then the others and listening everyday, everytime, everywhere, in the home, bus, car, metro, on the way to the university ... And they're " Utopia - Stay don't leave me - Never Say Never Sarajevo Bloodangel - Julia I hear Your Cry Waterdrop Shadowman She Got Nine Lifes Astoria Last man On Earth Sarah Wanna Die (my girl friend loves this Sarah's song too) - Fathers Eyes The Monsters Crowl Dance with the Dead Break Your Soul - eyes of a child " its one of my big wishes to be in AXXIS's concert although with destructed of Iranian person's reputations and prestige on the world by our stupid government we can't travel up to 100 countries without VISA and those countries made difficult and almost impossible VISA process for Iranian even peace lover youngs people like us. So if I couldn't be in AXXIS's concert in the Iran neighbours countries like TURKEY or ARMENIA or UAE i think may be I couldn't be in AXXIS concert never time in my life.. :-( At the end I want to give a special thanks for "Utopia" album and congratulation for 20th anniversary with best wishes to AXXIS band and I hope one day everyone could listen and play the music they like and didn't kill any youth musical talents for religion ideas or superstitions of somebodies because ...History Won't Repeat any artist. |
more information regarding IRAN Iran website the next link is a scene of "nobody knows about persian cats" movie that shows iranian rock musician's bad situation like playing in cow's stable :( and become sick: Watch it on youtube |