I remember the first time I watched an interview with Pouya it was a couple of years ago (it wasn’t his first interview but rather the first that I caught) I was pleasantly shocked and surprised! Based on all images/videos available from him I imagined him as an “akhmoo” and grumpy guy! But when seeing his smiling and lively personality I was really charmed! Not to mention his humble and fair attitude towards fellow artists!
Few days ago I had a similar experience with Babak Amini whom I’ve always seen as über-serious onstage and in his images! In his interview with Houshang Tozi however, I saw a much more light-hearted side of him and was once again pleasantly surprised!
Then it suddenly hit me!! I too often look akhmoo and über-serious in my pics, maybe I too should smile more! Just to avoid coming across as grumpy! Now we don’t wanna do that, do we!! hehe!
Mohsen Chavoshi whose biggest dream, according to himself, is to become a “mojaaz” singer doesn’t understand why he cant get a legal permit when some of his songs have been played on state radio and television! He also complains about not being credited or adequately paid for his four songs, ordered by Dariush Mehrjooyi for the “Santoori” movie, after having gone through so much financial and mental troubles recording them (It should also be mentioned that not long ago Chavoshi himself was accused of not giving proper credits in his works, in particular to the lyricist Taraneh Mokaram)! However despite all ethical issues Chavoshi says that he is by now used to unfair treatment and has therefore secluded himself in his home, working on new material so that no so called “friend” can rip him off by leaking them online! He has been offered to work with four new soundtracks, which he still contemplates.
Million Stylez is the stage name of a new Swedish artist, whose latest DANCEHALL song “Miss Fatty” (referring to a big booty babe) has because of its phonetic resemblance to our own “Fati (joon)” become a HIT amongst Iranians here! Even I find myself humming this catchy tune several times a day! And thats not only cuz I love big booty girls! Hehe!
People ask my opinion about WHY the 6/8 (shesh-o-hasht) beat is so commonly used on most Iranian albums! Well the answer is rather simple! Its because its “popular“! In the sense that it -based on a cultural presetting- establishes an instant and immediate connection with the mood and mentality of the common Iranian listener of all ages! It has what I gastronomically call the “ketchup-effect“! Have you ever asked yourself why ketchup, this rather simple looking, unhealthy but still tasty red liquid, is so internationally popular? And most importantly a HUGE HIT with kids? Pour ketchup on anything and you’ll have the most fussiest kid devouring it before licking fingers in seconds! While fine and sophisticated peeps regard as the plague and its application on food as contamination (although when alone letting out the closet ketchup-lover!)! Its because its basic combination of pleasant tastes (sweet, salty, sour) strikes a chord with the consumer when suppressing all other “funny“ or unfamiliar tastes in the dish,! It simply takes over and tastes familiarly GOOD! Sure you go against the rules of fine dining but in reality only a few stick to such sophisticated/pretentious behaviour 24/7! Although it should also be mentioned that just as we got good and bad ketchup, we also got good and bad 6/8 music! Some producers use good ingredients to produce solid ketchup with a long expiration date and other use cheap ingredients to deliver a loose liquid with already expired expiration date!
So the 6/8 -songs have the “ketchup-effect” on an album, they make its otherwise difficultly digestive ingredients (often the favourite songs of the artists themselves) more accessible and tolerable! Cheap trick? Might be, nevertheless instant and commercially effective!
A VERY GOOD movie except for its few badly edited animal scenes where u could clearly see the “puppets”! Yeah, such details bug the hell out of me, especially when the rest of the movie is excellently done! Another bugging detail is that the “hunted” man on the cover is actually one of the man “hunters” in the movie!lol I hate such production slips! Anyway, its Interesting to know that the movie is co-written and -produced by the Iranian-born Farhad Safinia!
Mahshar, previously (wrongly) known as DJ Maryam, reportedly left Iran a while ago. Today a bootleg album has surfaced on the internet featuring 8 new high quality songs! Whether this album is another stolen/leaked album or a freebee we do not know yet, but my guess is that this album is scheduled to be released from an LA company in a near future and what we have here is the result of another “private-gone-public preview” in the hands of a friend or a relative! As it often is with leaked albums!
I just heard that Mina Lisa, the model/singer member of the early 80’s POP duo MAHMOUD & MINA LISA that was one of the first new acts formed in LA and presented by Fereydoun Farokhzad, has passed away! May her soul rest in peace!
Right after NOROOZ the fourth album of the ARIAN band is set to be released with 12 tracks and 3 music videos! As usual the creative members of the band have contributed with material. I must say that I wasnt pleased with their World Cup special “Pish taa Paayaan”! But I look forward to the album since the boys and girls of the band have never been in a habbit of letting us down when it comes to the albums!
On each album of the Solati brother and sister you can find a rip off! An (mostly) Arabic song blatantly employed with absolute no credit to the original singer or the creator! On “Ghassam” its time for Amal Hijazi’s “Mestani Eih” to be ripped off as “Hamsedaa”!
Some companies in Iran have started to release, mainly religious, albums to the market with a false permit from Ershaad! One of these companies, called “Tanine Erfaan” is located in Shiraz and it remains to be seen weather the ministry decides to deal with these illegal actors or not! Considering their religious nature!
Yesterday was the so called “fettisdag (fat Tuesday)” in Sweden. A day in which the Swedes traditionally prepare for the fasting by stuffing themselves with a “naane-khaameyi” pastry called “Semla”! Although these days no body really cares about fasting anymore, the devouring of Semla is still practised broadly! Not only on this particular Tuesday but starting now one month earlier! The delicious Semla in the pic has, as you can imagine, seized to exist (jaatoon khaaaliiii!lol) but its sweetness is still lingering in my mouth! YUMMMM!! ;p
tip: A Semla is preferably washed down with a glass of milk and a few cheesy R’n’B ballads!lol
“…Is that Shadmehr Aghili who sings “Aakharin Khabar” or is it Ali Reza Fard? And just when you thought that things have been settled a new name pops up, Hamid Asgari!!lol …”
And finally the Iran-based Shadmehr sound-alike showed himself to be Hamid Askari (with a K)! He has released his official album “Coma” on Pooya Music!
Hossein Zaman has crawled back to the IRIB (Sedaa va Simaa) with his tail between his legs to beg them to broadcast his new material after having forbid them in the past! He says that he has now realised the true role of the governmental media and that his problem was solely with the executives back then. He is also accusing Ershaad of censorship when aspiring to perform music that reflects the committed injustices against the war veterans!
Finally managed to see this one last night! A movie that I’ve been recommended by both critics and friends. It’s a story about a child’s journey into imagination in order to escape a ruthless reality! Guillermo del Toro’s work of art is a “fairytale for adults”. Yes, that is indeed the best way to describe it! If you enjoy an engaging story told with historical references and a suggestive approach in audio and vision then “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a MUST! This is a movie that is grand and majestic without being pompous or pretentious!
SHEIDA is the name of a new project by Rostam Mirlashari from the successful Swedish multi-cultural ETHNO-FOLK band Golbang! They present middle eastern folk tunes with POP twists in Scandinavian festivals. SHEIDA will be performong at the Swedish Song Contest tonight with their trilingual song “I Mina Drömmar (In MY Dreams)” in Persian, Baluchi and Swedish!
From its earliest underground days till now, FANTAZIA presents a solid anthology of CLUB CLASSICS! A release with a sexy cover and fine package design! A gem for all collectors!!
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