shahrezad's profileShahrezad's hjerterumPhotosBlogListsMore  |  Tools Help |
Persian Fiddler Lights Up ParisPersian Fiddler Lights Up ParisDarius KADIVAR reports from ParisGhassem Talebzadeh and Daniel Blumenthal Paris Recital at Salle Cortot
"The search for perfection in the rehearsal of the same forms will one day have to give way to a formal evolution allowing Iranian music to acquire a new cultural and geographic dimension, in measure with its rich historic past and with the talent of its interpreters" – Ghassem Talebzadeh
Passion for Classic and Folklore Music seems to play an ever growing part in the lives of Iranian expats of all ages and backgrounds and the regular rehearsals of classic composers of Persian heritage in Paris, London, Budapest or Vienna over the past years confirm the emergence of a confirmed generation of music Maestros who are gaining worldwide recognition from their peers. Conductors and composers like Alexander (Ali) Rahbari, Reza Vali or the talented Khadem-Missagh family clan of Father (Bijan) and son (Vahid) seem to confirm the desire of a new generation of Iranian musicians to combine Western classical Music with sounds and rhythms of their home country. If Pop music and other forms of artistic expression deemed as "Western and Corrupt" were banned by the Iranian regime in the years that followed the Islamic Revolution, paradoxically Western Classic music was reinstated as the only authorized form of tolerated Western musical expression. However in the meantime many great masters of Persian Music were forced to exile and many prestigious composers and musicologist who used to teach at the Tehran National Music Conservatory were to abandon their academic jobs by sheer disappointment and lack of governmental funding. The days when concerts at the famous Roudaki Hall used to draw the cream of the International world of music and ballets in the 1960's and 1970's Iran was definitively over, and it was not until quite recently that some of the expatriate Iranian composers have attempted to renew with the countries musicians and performers. Exile has however been beneficial to most of these great composers and conductors who like in other disciplines have been confronted with the challenge of enriching their Art with foreign musical influences and sensibilities. Nostalgia and resilience has certainly contributed in reinventing and experimenting new musical frontiers and also drawing Western musicians to take interest in Persian Music and Culture beyond political or religious clichés associated to Iranians and their home country. This has led to some interesting cooperation's in the past few decades between Iranian musicians and European or American colleagues thus happily proving wrong Rudyard Kipling's infamous and pessimistic observation that: The East being to the East and the West being to the West. Neither will ever meet ! The Classic Recital at the Parisian Salle Cortot situated at the Ecole Normale de Music de Paris given on Thursday night on the 25th of January perfectly illustrated the successful marriage between what Music Maestro Ghassem Talebzadeh ( professor and former director of the Tehran National Music Conservatory ) defines: "as a coherent musical world built upon the combination of Western Classical composition techniques and ancient themes of Persian Folklore."
Together American Daniel Blumenthal at the piano and Iranian Ghassem Talebzadeh at the Violin performed a two part recital in front of an elegant and admiring crowd of Persian and French music Enthusiasts.
The first part of the concert was dedicated to classic works of Austrian Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( Sonata in Sol, K.301), American Ernest Bloch ( Nigun ), Russian Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( Chanson Triste) Polish Henryk Wieniawski ( Souvenir de Mouscou) and Spanish Manuel de Falla-Kreisler ( Danse Espagnole).
The second part of the concert followed a short intermission and allowed Daniel Blumenthal to play two solo piano compositions of Talebzadeh entitled Pour l'Anniversaire de M. and Fantaisie. The American Pianist was to then perform again with Mr. Talebzadeh at the Violin with the Persian Maestro's other classical compositions based on Persian themes such as Evocation, Danse populaire Persane, Sur la Colline, and Variation sur le Thème de "Homayoune".
About Daniel Blumenthal :
enjoys an international reputation as soloist, concert musician and chamber musician. He is professor at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, Belgium and director of the "Thy Master class Chamber Music Festival", Denmark. His discography includes over eighty CDs. Daniel Blumenthal was born in Landstuhl, Germany and began his musical training at the age of five. He received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan and his Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts from the Juilliard School in New York. Blumenthal is a laureate of the Sydney, Leeds, Geneva, Busoni, and the Queen Elisabeth competitions. In 1995 he was on the jury of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for Piano. He is an honorary member and musical advisor of Icons of Europe, Brussels.
Ghassem Talebzadeh © Ghassem Talebzadeh
About Ghassem Talebzadeh Former student of the Tehran Superior Conservatory of Classic Music Ghassem Talbzadeh entered the Tehran Symphonic Orchestra at the age of sixteen as a violinist. Working with masters such as Tina Mantoffel and Ruben Saffarian and Leon Grigorian. He then joins Vienna with a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and then Brussels where he will obtain the first prize of Chamber Music, Harmony, orchestration and other major musical principles at the Royal Music Conservatory of Brussels. He also earned a degree in Violin at the Mozarteùm of Salzburg. After other major achievements in Liège such as the recording of thirteen major symphonies of Belgian Musician Van Malden, he joined the Royal Symphonic Orchestra of the Radio and Television of Belgium. Before returning to Iran. After Teaching Violin as well as Music theory at the Tehran Conservatory he is named director of the Conservatory and creates a Chamber Orchestra that will perform in Tehran with the collaboration of the Graz Orchestra ( Austria). He has performed Worldwide and his compositions are inspired by ancient themes related to Persian History and culture. He is member of the SABAM the Belgian Society of Authors and Compositors. He has also released CD's with Radio France on the works of Beethoven, Hindemit , E.Lalo , Rachmaninoff , Prokofieff , Gabriele Fauré, etc … He has also written extensively on Persian Poetry and their influence on his musical research and has also published a book entitled Abbas Khochgelé Edition Farzad about life in Tehran 50 to 70 years ago.
Official Website: http://www.talebzadeh.net/
Hypernova
Laleh Koncert på Lille Vega tirsdag d. 13 februar kl 21.00 Laleh Koncert på Lille Vega tirsdag d. 13 februar kl 21.00
Multikunstneren Laleh fra Sverige debuterede i 2005 med albummet Laleh, der blev varmt modtaget af kritikere både i Danmark og Sverige.
Abummet er en dejlig blanding af mainstream pop og skæve toner, der er inspireret af hendes etniske baggrund. Laleh synger derfor både på engelsk, svensk og persisk – i alt er der faktisk 14 sprog inde over albummet. Laleh var ”Ugens Uundgåelige” på P3 i 2005, og samme år vandt hun to priser til den svenske udgave af P3 Guld for ”Årets Nykomling” og ”Årets Kvindliga Artist”. Laleh nyudgivet album Prinsessor er blevet modtaget ganske godt af de danske kritikere.
LALEH (S)
Lille VEGA 13.02.07 kl. 21:00
Forsalg: 160 kr. + gebyr
Entré: 180 Få billederne her:
http://www.vega.dk/Kalender/Kalender/2007/2/laleh.aspx
Læs om hende her: http://www.stockholmian.com/news/persiska/2005/05may/069_encrypt.htm (persisk) http://www.mtve.com/artist.php?ArtistId=619 (engelsk) http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/arts/story/2005/07/050729_bs_concert.shtml (persisk) bestil eller lyd til hendes ny cd her : http://www.laleh.se/music.asp Se videoen LIVE TOMORROW og med flg. lyrik eller går til hjemme siden : http://www.laleh.se/music_laleh.asp Live TomorrowIts cold around me, the nigh t is young the moon is dancing among the clouds
I know we could live tomorrow
I know we could.. Taking my life in my hands! I know we could live tomorrow Her er tekst og akkord til hendes sang invisible og se videoen ved at klikke hereller gå på hendes hjemmeside: http://www.laleh.se/music_laleh.asp
I keep loosing my faith Invisible rat holes (you have it, you’re strong enough!) They keep turning away I keep playing my part Invisible rat holes (and when I play on Who doesn’t and who matters?
Intervju i tidningen QX, mars 2005Laleh har fått sin scenvana genom en rad uppträdanden för främst feminister och flator i hemstaden Göteborg. Nu är hon aktuell med debutplattan ”Laleh” och en musikstil som närmast kan beskrivas som en blandning av reggae och vispop i Cornelis Vreeswijks anda. Trots kontrakt med gigantiska Warner music, singeln Invisible (My Song) på Trackslistan och en uppåtgående karriär föredrar hon små intima spelningar, gärna med publiken från förr. Varför har du valt att blanda låtar på engelska och svenska? Var det svårt att få med skivbolaget på ”blandningen”? Vilka typer av människor har fallit för din musik hittills? Du sjunger mycket om att inte höra hemma? På vilket sätt är den galen? Vad hade du gjort om du inte hade fått ett skivkontrakt? Vart har du fått ditt självförtroende ifrån? Det är rätt ovanligt att våga säga att man är bra, eller? Låten ”Kom Tilda”, vad handlar den om? Får vi se dig i något gaysammanhang, Pride kanske?
 Lalehs hjemmeside
Outlandish kontra Dansk Folkepartis Ungdom
Outlandish kontra Dansk Folkepartis Ungdom Når Isam Bachiri, Waqas Qadri og Lenny Martinez fra Outlandish ved flere lejligheder har sat sindene i kog på den yderste højrefløj, skyldes det, at to af de tre musikere er muslimer, og at de ikke lægger skjul på dette faktum. At de dermed uden sammenligning er landets mest populære praktiserende muslimer, gør dem dem til et særligt fokus for opmærksomhed for enhver med en eksplicit anti-islamisk dagsorden.
Tænk at man også skal gøres ansvarlig for og stå til regnskab for, hvilke personer der måtte deltage i samme konference som én selv, og hvad de muligvis, muligvis-ikke har udtalt ved den og den forgangne lejlighed? Det ville jo blive umuligt for mange af os nogen sinde igen at deltage i en debat med f.eks. medlemmer fra Dansk Folkeparti.
Men historien har naturligvis fået sit eget liv i Kjærsgaards, Hedegaards & Co.s mytiske katalog over selvrefererende »sandheder« om Den Store Islamiske Trussel, hvor der ingen grænser er for, hvad og hvem der kan blive udskrevet som farlig islamist. Af Rune Engelbreth Larsen [www.humanisme.dk] Rune Engelbreth Larsen Outlandish-medlemmer sang for ekstremisterOutlandish-medlemmer sang for ekstremisterIsam Bachiri og Waqas Quadrii spillede i julen for ekstreme islamister i Canada, til en konference, hvor en af parolerne var, at Sharia-loven skal indføres i hele vesten.
At Outlandish står ved deres islamiske tro, det er næppe nogen hemmelighed for danskerne, efter B.T. i julen kunne fortælle at bandet nægtede at optræde i nærheden af sangerinden Herborg Kråkevik til DR´s store juleshow, fordi hendes lette påklædning kolliderede med to af bandmedlemmernes tro. Voldsomme paroler til konferencen Ud over de to Outlandish-medlemmers optræden på konferencen, så blev de blev de unge Islamiske canadiere mødt af noget hårdere meldinger fra nogle af foredragsholderne. Af jti
Lagt på www.bt.dk den 12. januar 2007 kl. 8:38.
mere information om gruppen:
http://images.google.dk/images?q=Isam+Bachiri+&hl=da&lr=&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title http://muslimphotos.net/gallery/thumbnails-topn-0.html http://www.aok.dk/profile/28775 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6798886804653528066 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wleSE0FNt20 http://www.dfu-nettet.dk/files/files/nr3-2004.pdf http://www.menneskeret.dk/tema/racisme/isam/ http://www.humanisme.dk/logbog/log060.php http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=7&id=3873 http://www.dr.dk/Musik/Leksikon/O/142701.htm http://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=15052/theme_focus=127 http://debat.jubii.dk/92/Boykot+Outlandish_417636.html?&page=3 Og meget mere finder du her under: http://www.google.dk/search?q=Isam+Bachiri+&hl=da&lr=&start=30&sa=N
A Vulnerable and Problematic Art A Vulnerable and Problematic Art
In Iran, the Cultural Council has a strong influence on music and musicians, making, for instance, recommendations regarding song lyrics. In her article, Shadi Vatanparast writes about recent examples of musical oppression in the country.  Rumi is one of the bands whose concerts have recently been cancelled | The state has always tried to control artistic production and music is one of the more effective ways of directing desires. In this, the state is usually hand in glove with financial interests, even though the former tries to pass its action off on moral grounds.
The businessmen of music today are following the same guidelines that any businessman follows: limiting musical groups to only a few to control the audience's expectations and to make the market predictable for themselves. If the market doesn't act according to their forecasts, they will then appeal to other means to secure their position. Religion is usually the best pretext for these entrepreneurs to get at what they want or to stop someone else from getting what they want. The fate of the music industry doesn't even figure into the equation. Perhaps various discontinuities in our musical history have made it so difficult today to trace back musical roots. Many occurrences in the past month indicate a more difficult time for the Iranian music scene. Foreign bands short of a performance The Juliani Jazz Quartet started preparing for their concert in Tehran in early spring 2004. They obtained the green light from the Ershad Security. This is the Ministry of Culture's intelligence arm and their go-ahead is almost half the battle in obtaining permission for a concert, especially for foreign musicians. Everything seemed set – until at the last minute – when the band was informed that permission was not granted. By then the band was in Iran and getting ready to perform. The Italian embassy subsequently invited the quartet to perform on its grounds, for one night if not the two nights at Niavaran Palace first intended. Limited as it was, that concert did take place. The week after the Italians, that is on the 8th and 9th of October, a classical ensemble from Switzerland was also scheduled to perform at the Palace. This time, however, the Society of Niavaran Musicians was on alert and informed the Swiss of possible problems. The ensemble eventually cancelled the concert. The Society subsequently announced that it would suspend all its scheduled concerts until decision-making on the part of various officials has become more transparent. The bureaucracy game Over the past five months and with a change in the Music Center leadership, obtaining permission for concerts and album releases has become increasingly more difficult. Whether the instalment of Homafar, the new head of the institution, is responsible for these changes or not is not clear yet. It can safely be assumed that confusion in various layers of decision-making and the interference of financial interests are at the root. Several concerts by Iranian musicians were also cancelled in the period, including those of Nour, Meera, Rumi and Arian (the last in the city of Kerman). It is notable that the mentioned bands are among those that have performed many times in the past and one would assume that their managers are now familiar with the procedures and pitfalls of getting a concert permit. Iranian album inspired by Bonnie M Albums are faring no better. Master tar and setar player and composer Hossein Alizadeh and folk musician Hossein Hamidi are still awaiting permission to release their albums, after 8 months. This doesn't mean, of course, that Lilikoo, an Iranian album inspired by Bonnie M's "Daddy Cool," couldn't get one. It did so in 25 days. The Queen album permit continued to pester Ershad as many of the conservative MPs tuned to the news on BBC radio, listened to the report about the permission, and, as a result, questioning the issued permit afterward. Farshad Fozuni, with music by Ramin Behna, who participated in the Underground Music Competition with "The Child and the Old Man," was unable to get permission to release his album at first. The outfit responsible for rejecting the permit to Fozuni was neither the Lyrics Council nor the Music Council but a new council called the Cultural Council, which found the album "nihilistic" and rejected it on that ground. "Replace 'preacher' with 'poet' and 'police' with 'thug'" The Council then "suggested" alterations for the permit to be issued, among them the addition of plain words at the end of each song to reduce the nihilistic effect of music and the change of several words in the lyrics including "preacher" for "poet" and "police" for "thug". It is notable that the album lyrics were those of Shel Silverstein previously translated and published in Iran. The Cultural Council is a new entity and its members are yet unknown to this pen. The only thing I could find out was that it is composed of representatives from the Leader of the Revolution, the religious city of Qom, and the Ministry of Interior. The Council is different from other such supervisory outfits in that it can appeal to vague political and philosophical explanations to justify its decision. In the news but under the table DJ Maryam was the hottest gossip personality in September. She was, hearsay had it, arrested on the charge of illegally distributing a CD album. But then, the 18-year-old singer appeared in an interview with BBC's Persian website. Apparently, the father of Mahshar, the real name of DJ Maryam, arranged the interview to clarify his daughter's situation. No, she was not arrested and she continues to sing to women-only audiences on religious occasions. She doesn't know how a CD of her songs is in people's hands but she is sure that someone must have recorded it live at one of her performances. This is when the CD now available in black market is studio recorded. Mahshar believes that what she does is not contrary to social sensibilities. She is pious herself and the fact that her composer and band members are all men doesn't pose a problem because she appears before them in Islamic garb, "those that I currently work with are all like my brother," she says in the interview. She claims that even if given permission under different circumstances, she will not perform for men. Shadi Vatanparast © TehranAvenue This article was previously published in TehranAvenue, October 2004 Published: 20.11.2004 - Last modified: 22.11.2004
A Finely Woven Fabric of Mysticism and Music A Finely Woven Fabric of Mysticism and Music
The German-Persian singer Cymin Samawatie is the leader of the band Cyminology. With the quartet she has set texts of the Persian mystic Hāfiz and the scholar and poet Omar Khayyám, among others, to music. A portrait by Lewis Gropp  Lisen:http://www.cyminology.de/main.html A richly faceted musical consciousness is reflected in the compositions of the Berlin quartet | At no other time have contemporary musicians been able to draw on such an inexhaustible diversity of musical traditions as today. Yet few musicians and composers succeed in combining as many different stylistic directions as subtly and sensitively as the German world jazz band Cyminology.
This skill is particularly apparent in the song "Emu" from their first album, "Per se." A wide variety of musical characteristics can be found in the highly individual timbre of the band and the album: the elegant grace of the bossa nova, the free-floating weightlessness of French impressionist arias, the melancholy of the fado, the offbeat patterns of bebop, and the consummate dramaturgy of the melodic leading, which could hold its own even against the symphonic poems of Viennese Classicism. "Classical. jazz, rock, pop, hip-hop, traditional, and contemporary music – different styles have slipped into our music," explains Cymin Samawatie. The mysticism of the beat There are a few discoveries in terms of meter as well. "Per se," the title song, opens the album in a hypnotic 5/4 meter that begins with a free-floating song, then pulsates darkly with a driving ostinato in the double bass and piano. The band plays the second track, "Delam," in an unusual 11/4 meter and "Biabam" in 7/4 time.  Cyminology has been performing in this formation for four years now; their new album will come out in spring 2007 | The irregular rhythms create the impression of something mysterious, since the beat is not resolved in the usual way. The listener feels the pulse of the song, but it does not reveal itself to him automatically – that is the mysticism of the beat. Only a well-balanced ensemble of technically skilled musicians is able to play such demanding compositions with this ease and elegance.
Cyminology has been performing in this formation for four years now. Drummer Keran Bhatti, born in New Delhi, India in 1981, and the seasoned double bassist, Ralf Schwarz, make up the rhythm section. At only 26, Benedikt Jahnel is already a stylistically confident virtuoso on piano. Hāfiz and Omar Khayyám Most of the works were composed by Cymin Samawatie, however. Last year she completed a degree in jazz singing at the renowned University of the Arts in Berlin. Although she was born in Germany and has not been able to visit her parents' homeland for eleven years, the connection to Iran is very important to Cymin Samawatie. For some time, she recounts, she has been studying Persian with a teacher who is also giving her an appreciation of contemporary Iranian authors. Not long ago, however, she also discovered the two great Persian poets of the 14th century herself. "If you study the texts of Hāfiz and Omar Khayyám in detail, you can find an indescribable depth, emotionality, and beauty in them," she says. Hāfiz celebrated the ecstasy of religious meditation, the pleasures of drinking, and pederasty. Moreover, the mystic and seeker after truth ridiculed hypocrites and philistines. To this day, Hāfiz is regarded as one of his country's greatest poets. Lost in Translation The translations of the Austrian diplomat and orientalist Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall inspired the prince of poets, Goethe, to write his West-Eastern Divan. Nevertheless, for Samawatie the beauty of the texts has been lost in translation. Consequently, in addition to her own Persian song texts, she sings Hāfiz's texts in the original language. The new album, however, which has already been recorded and will be released next spring, contains primarily texts of Omar Khayyám. "By and large, the first album was rather tranquil and delicate," the singer reflects. "With a couple of exceptions, the second album is on the whole very spirited and lively." Since there is no possibility of traveling to Iran to meet artists there, given the current situation, Cymin Samawatie gets together with Persian musicians once or twice a month when her schedule permits. "We listen to and discuss current and traditional compositions there." As far as Cymin Samawatie is concerned, she would certainly not say with Thomas Mann Where I am, is Iran. I carry my Iranian culture in me. It is significant, however, that the legacy of Hāfiz and Khayyám is not being passed on within Iran itself today but, as it were, in exile. Lewis Gropp © Qantara.de 2006 Translted from the German by Phyllis Anderson Music with religious content is on the rise If George W. Bush Were Muslim
Music with religious content is on the rise – also among young Muslims in Europe. Martina Sabra asks what "Islamic" music is and what role it plays for Muslim youth in Europe  Sami Yusuf: Clear moral messages instead of Islam propaganda – many youth welcome this pragmatic message | The popularity of the band "Outlandish" has been increasing for years, in Denmark as well as in other countries. In England the Islam singer Sami Yusuf has been the subject of portraits in the mainstream media such as the BBC and "The Guardian." Also in Germany an "Islamic" music scene is beginning to emerge.
Ammar, a young Ethiopian-German from Frankfurt who converted to Islam at the age of nineteen, has already created over a dozen rap songs that demonstrate not only his talent in writing lyrics but also his gift for satire. For example, he narrates in staccato how U.S. President George W. Bush grows a beard and converts to Islam. The student from Frankfurt who plans to become a teacher addresses only a small minority with his mixture of satire and missionary zeal. After all, his songs can only be heard on the Internet. But he has an important message for very devout young Muslims: yes to the peaceful coexistence of religions and cultures; no to the sweeping demonization of the West: "To every coward who tolerates hate and terror. And who rejoices when a bomb explodes in public. To those who support and carry out such acts. Peace is being attacked in the name of Islam: You sow injustice and follow Satan, your own inner weakness, but not Islam. You're dragging our religion deep in the mud. If you've had enough – then do some rap instead." Idol: Yusuf Islam The musical idol of many religious Muslims is Yusuf Islam alias Cat Stevens, who converted to Islam in 1977 and then for religious reasons took a break from his music career for many years. The assumption that Islam prohibits music, however, is disputed among Muslim experts and scholars alike. "Some Islam scholars have always claimed this throughout history. But nowhere in the Koran is there a prohibition against music, neither explicitly nor implicitly," says Anes Sabitovic, a Bosnian-born teacher of classical guitar and a music journalist for the Islamische Zeitung, an Islamic newspaper in Berlin. Music is not prohibited in the Koran Therefore, and most likely influenced by the rise of intolerance and violence worldwide in the name of Islam, Yusuf Islam acknowledged a few years ago in interviews and open letters to his fans that the prophet Muhammad definitely approved of poetry and uplifting music. But Yusuf Islam's concerts and albums are still shaped and inspired by Islam. His texts praise God and his religion. The songs are musically inspired by the "Nasheed": a mystical, religious song, typically a cappella, at the most mixed with some rhythm. Yusuf Islam has also re-recorded old Cat Stevens hits such as "Peace Train" in this style. But a growing number of religious Muslim youth want more. They are enthusiastic when Islam musicians present religious messages in the form of rap, hip-hop, or soft rock – such as the music from British musician Sami Yusuf. "These are not traditional forms," explains Berlin musician and journalist Anes Sabitovic, "but typical pop music. Only the texts are Islamic." Sami Yusuf: chaste, apolitical, non-violent Sami Yusuf, born in 1980 to Azerbaijani immigrants, grew up in England and studied music at the renowned Royal Academy in London. He now tours the world with his Islamic edification repertoire. Sami Yusuf owes his fast-growing popularity to his clear renunciation of violence and terror as well as to the Saudi television station "Iqraa." In his music videos Sami Yusuf preaches a neoliberal Islam that desires to be compatible with Orient and Occident: chaste, family-oriented, apolitical, non-violent. Clear moral messages instead of Islam propaganda, a call for concrete social action. Many youth welcome this pragmatic message. For twenty-four-year-old Saloua Muhammad, a German-Moroccan theology student from Spich near Bonn, Sami Yusuf is the Muslim Xavier Naidoo (who in his turn is a pop star in Germany with South-African, Indian and German roots, who often refers to religion in his songs). "He (Sami Yusuf) makes music that appeals to young people, with topics that are important to them: What is the meaning of life? Who is Allah? Who is the prophet? What does a regulated life look like?" Devout? – Not Saloua Muhammad, who regularly visits the homeless with the Islam youth organization "Lifemakers Germany" and is also socially committed elsewhere, regards Sami Yusuf as his role model. But whether Islamic music can find a broad audience in the German-speaking world is more than dubious. Many young people with Muslim backgrounds in Germany say that religion is important to them. Yet the majority of them are not practicing their religion and are not even devout. If they listen to music with a connection to Islam, then it is more likely to be groups like Outlandish or rappers like Everlast – young musicians who emphasize their Muslim identity but without missionary zeal. This is also true of Anes Sabitovic: "Here I make a distinction. For me art has priority," says the Muslim guitarist and journalist from Berlin. "Privately I prefer to listen to classical music and jazz." Martina Sabra © Qantara.de 2006 Translated from the German by Nancy Joyce´ Nazanin en Irans kunstner med menneskerettigheder i hjertet Bodog.TV broadcasts Tale of Two Nazanins
For hendes musik og nyeste CD og hendes arbejde for menneskerettigheder i Iran se:
http://www.bodog.tv/spotlight/?play=naz-makingfatehi Music artist and runner-up for Miss World – Nazanin - presents riveting documentary outlining heroic efforts to save the life of an Iranian woman who shares her name
January 5, 2007 - Nazanin, the international music sensation who quickly rose to the ranks on the world celebrity scene after being named runner-up for the Miss World Competition, is once again looking to capture the attention of global activists. This time, however, the former Miss Canada seeks support from the international community in her campaign to save the life of her 18-year-old Iranian namesake.
Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi was sentenced to death for murder by a court in Iran after she stabbed one of three men who attempted to rape her and her 16-year-old niece in a park in Karaj, a suburb of Tehran, in March 2005. She was 17 at the time. On June 1, 2006, the Head of Judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, announced a stay of execution and the call for a retrial. Nazanin Fatehi's retrial will take place January 10, 2007 (20th of Dey 1385 in the Iranian calendar).
To raise the level of awareness, the former beauty queen is now hosting a riveting documentary, produced and funded by media mogul Calvin Ayre and his charitable organization, the Calvin Ayre Foundation. The Tale of Two Nazanins, which can be viewed on Bodog.TV and CalvinAyreFoundation.com, highlights short and candid interviews with politicians and human rights experts, and captures emotional footage of Nazanin Fatehi speaking to her sister and mother by phone from prison. Other footage includes a re-enactment of the attack and narration by Nazanin Afshin-Jam as she takes the audience through the emotional episode.
Bodog Music singer and songwriter Nazanin Afshin-Jam has been waging an international campaign to raise awareness about this human rights case. She has created a petition that now has over 230,000 signatories from around the world, as well as spoken to political leaders and international organizations and institutions, such as the United Nations.
“We have a lot of momentum, but we're running out of time,” said Afshin-Jam, who dedicated a song on her upcoming album, “Someday,” to Fatehi, as well as the previously released “I Dance 4 U”, which broke the UK's Dance/Pop charts in 2006. “I really believe we can save Nazanin's life - but only with the support of the international community,” she said.
“This is an incredibly unfortunate situation that has far-reaching implications,” Bodog.com Entertainment Founder Calvin Ayre said. “Our hope with this documentary is to shed light on the plight of this young girl and others who share a similar fate. We encourage Nazanin Afshin-Jam to continue her effort to raise the level of awareness about this case and will do what we can to support her in every way possible.”
To find out more information about the case of Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi, see: www.helpnazanin.com. To view the documentary visit: www.bodog.tv.
Publicity Contact: nazaninpr@bodogmusic.com
BIO. of Nazanin An ambassador to Canada as Miss Canada and 1st runner in the Miss World global competition, Nazanins allure is far surpassed by her kind heart. Using the gifts she has been given to make a difference in the world, Nazanin spends her spare moments devoting herself to volunteering her time to different causes and charities. Born in Tehran during the turmoil of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Nazanin’s family was forced to leave all their worldly possessions behind and flea to freedom, when her father had been jailed and tortured by the Revolutionary Guard under the new regime. Awaiting execution, it was the familys escape to Europe that saved them from political persecution. Faced with adversity so early in life, the revolution impacted her core. As a young teen, Nazanin immersed herself in knowledge, constantly educating herself in global issues. She became a Royal Canadian Air Cadet and obtained the highest rank of Warrant Officer First Class while obtaining her pilots license. Nazanin continued her passion in global awareness and acquired a Double Major Degree in International Relations and Political Science at the University of British Columbia, and received scholarships to study at the prestigious L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and at the International Study Center at Herstmonceux Castle in England. During university, Nazanin paved her way to support herself working as both a model and an actress, and became a Global Youth Educator with the Red Cross and raising awareness on global issues such as the landmine crisis, children affected by war and the poverty-disease cycle. Nazanin searched for a way to impact the lives of those in need. While Nazanin was happy reaching out to some, she yearned to help more. To reach the masses, Nazanin learned that she would need a stonger platform. To gain this stronger platform, Nazanin entered and won the Miss Canada title and then on to win the 1st runner up title in the Miss World competition in front of 2.2 billion television viewers. This honor was received with a large amount of controversy and caused quite a stir in the Iranian community. Nazanin received hate mail from Islamic fundamentalists and at the same time accolades from the youth in Iran who supported her goals and looked to her as a role model. Since then, she has continued her quest to help those less fortunate. Nazanin has helped victims of the tsunami in India and Sri Lanka, raised funds for the earthquake victims of Bam, supported fistula patients in Ethiopia, campaigned for women’s rights in the Middle East, and raised awareness on the practice of Bear Bile Farming in China. For her efforts to save a girl in Iran named Nazanin Fatehi from execution for defending herself against rape and bringing international attention to this cause, Nazanin Afshin-Jam received the “Hero for Human Rights” award from Artists for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Throughout Nazanin's life, she has found solace in the music that surrounds her. Her mother inundated their family with music flowing constantly in the house from her incredibly eclectic music collection. Her constant world travels and cultural awareness have molded her musical acuity to span a spectrum broader then most are ever exposed to. Blessed with the voice of angels, Nazanin whisks audiences away on a musical journey around the world with her debut album,“Someday”,to be released worldwide on BodogMusic in April 2007. Singing in English, French, and Persian, this genre-spanning song selection could be classified in many categories with prevalence in: World Beat, Pop, and Dance. Nazanin will continue to be a spokesperson and conduct international speeches in support of humanitarian issues and also to express herself through her songs. Nazanin sees herself as the voice for the voiceless and she hopes to transcend all borders and reach the hearts of those worldwide with the embedded message of hope within her music. Den farlige musik Den farlige musik
læse også :
Den franske rapsanger Malik kender til slumopvækst og islam-vækkelse. Han røg uklar med islamisterne og Tariq Ramadan pga. sin musik. Sappho har mødt Malik i Paris til en samtale om musik, bøger og sufisme, den islamiske mysticisme, som han mener er kernen i islam
Af Helle Merete Brix Han hedder Abd al-Malik, i daglig tale blot Malik, han er 30 år gammel, rap-musiker, sort, forfatter og franskmand. I øjeblikket skriver han på en bog om rap-musikkens historie.
Jeg har inden interviewet fået lejlighed til at lytte den nye CD igennem. Det inciterende indledningsnummer hedder "Gibraltar", og lidt forlegent bekræfter Malik, at det for så vidt handler om ham selv: En ung, sort mand, der ved Gibraltarstrædet for første gang omfavner spiritualiteten, "sluger stjernerne" og erklærer livet sin kærlighed. Gibraltarstrædet, forklarer Malik ivrigt, symboliserer grænsen mellem moderniteten og Afrika. Marokko er landet, hvor Maliks mentor, antropologen og sufi-specialisten Faouzi Skauli bor.
Ikke overraskende er Malik da også gode venner med islamologen og forfatteren Rachid Benzine, som Weekendavisen interviewede sidste år, og som i sit forfatterskab bl.a. har interesseret sig for islams liberale tænkere i nyere tid.
Den lokale moské besøges mest af gamle folk. Da unge mænd fra den fundamentalistiske Tabligh-bevægelse (grundlagt i Indien i 1927, red.) en dag står i moskéen og råber "brødrene" op, er de unge klar til at lade sig indrullere i fællesskabet.
I de islamiske boghandlere har han aldrig kunnet finde bøger om den sufisme, han gennem et stykke tid har interesseret sig for. Da han andet steds får fat i bogen "Traces de lumière" (Lysets spor) af sufi-specialisten og antropologen Faouzi Skauli, falder noget på plads. Han rejser til Marokko og møder Faouzi Skauli. Her er musikken intet problem, Skauli arrangerer den årlige internationale festival for spirituel musik i Fez. I Skaulis hjem møder han også for første gang vestlige konvertitter, der ikke er optaget af at tale dårligt om Vesten. OUTLANDISH - ISLAMISMENS MUSIKALSKE BUDBRINGERE?!!!??OUTLANDISH - ISLAMISMENS MUSIKALSKE BUDBRINGERE?!
6.1.2007:
Ud over at optræde ved prestigeomgærdede arrangementer her i landet optræder bandet både hjemme og ude som spydspids for islamismens udbredelse hånd i hånd med kendte shariaforkæmpere Af Helle Merete Brix Herborg Kråkevik – for fræk for Outlandish Er den populære danske popgruppe Outlandish en propagandakanal for islamismen? Det er i dag svært at komme til anden konklusion. Under generalprøven på DRs nylige juleshow fik Outlandish ifølge BT sin vilje og fik flyttet den norske sangerinde Herborg Kråkevik over i den anden side af salen, så langt væk fra popgruppen som muligt. Outlandish og sangerinden skulle nemlig optræde sammen. Udover katolikken Lenny Martinez tæller Outlandish to muslimer, Isam Bachiri og Waqas Qadri. Ifølge islamisk opfattelse var den kjoleklædte sangerinde med de bare arme for bar, og DR valgte, som man kunne se, da juleshowet løb af stablen, åbenbart at føje Outlandish i kravet om, at Kråkevik ikke må stå for tæt på. Den 22.-24. december gik Outlandish skridtet videre og fik deres nordamerikanske debut på konferencen ”Reviving the Islamic Spirit” i Toronto. Outlandish optrådte sammen med en række andre kunstnere under overskriften ”Som lys i en niche – hyldestsange til Allahs budbringer”. Denne tre-dages konference var, fremgår det af programmet, ikke arrangeret af en bestemt islamisk organisation. Ifølge programmet havde den intet bestemt ideologisk sigte, men skulle være et middel til at hjælpe unge muslimer med at klare nye udfordringer, hvad angår kommunikation og integration. Konferencen var finansieret af United Muslims Financial, et finansieringsinstitut, der følger shariaens regler for udlån, renter m.m. Tariq al-Suweidan – jøderne vil møde deres endeligt (under den 2. Islamic Spirit-konference, januar 2003) Men blandt talerne ved det kønsopdelte arrangement var adskillige indflydelsesrige islamister, bl.a. Tariq Ramadan og den kuwaitiske retslærde Tariq al-Suweidan. Ramadans forbindelse med Det Muslimske Broderskab og hans antidemokratiske projekt er beskrevet i en række udenlandske bøger og artikler, herunder journalisten Caroline Fourests bog Frère Tariq (Broder Tariq).
Al-Suweidan, der var programsat hele tre gange under konferencen, er ligesom Tariq Ramadan tidligere blevet nægtet indrejse i USA. Det skyldes hans kommentarer til den israelsk-palæstinensiske konflikt, fremsat offentligt ved forskellige lejligheder. For eksempel har al-Suweidan proklameret, at ”jøderne vil møde deres endeligt gennem os” (citeret i terrorismeeksperten Steven Emersons bog Jihad in America). Al-Suweidan var også i København 10. marts i år, inviteret af Dansk Institut for Internationale Studier (DIIS). På DIIS-konferencen i Eigtveds Pakhus kommenterede han bl.a. balladen om Muhammed-tegningerne ved at sige, at ”Holocaust er hellig for jøderne, derfor må man også acceptere, at profeten er hellig for muslimerne” (citeret i Sapphos artikel om konferencen: ”Arabisk monolog i Pakhuset”, den 14. marts 2006). Jomfru Maria med hidjab En anden inviteret taler til konferencen var lederen af det islamiske Zaytuna Institut i Californien, Hamza Yusuf, der er en populær taler på islamiske konferencer i ind- og udland. Derudover Abdallah bin Bayyah, en retslærd fra Mauretanien, der også er landets tidligere vicepræsident og tidligere dommer med ansvaret for sharia-rettens appeldomstol. I forbindelse med angrebet på USA den 11. september 2001 udstedte bin Bayyah en fatwa, som Hamza Yusuf begejstret har kommenteret i en artikel publiceret på sit instituts hjemmeside. Den legaliserer, at muslimske kvinder, der følte sig bange for ikke-muslimers reaktioner i dagene efter 11. september, kunne gå ud uden hidjab (tildækning), hvis det var strengt nødvendigt at forlade hjemmet. Hamza Yusuf skrev: ”Der er ikke-muslimske kvinder, der har båret tørklæder i solidaritet med de muslimske kvinder. ... Jeg ville foreslå en PR kampagne. Vis billeder af Marie Magdalene eller jomfru Maria, der jo egentlig også bærer hidjab, og forklar at det er et tegn på renhed, som det altid har været. Folk bør derfor ikke krænke det. Gør dette for at minde dem om, at det er fra deres egen tradition. Ligeledes, anbring et billede af en nonne ved siden af en muslimsk kvinde og spørg, hvorfor den ene skulle være ren og den anden uren. Hvilke kriterier dømmer du efter?” Her er måske også noget at hente for Outlandish's katolske medlem, der dog så vidt vides ikke har problemer med sine muslimske kollegers stærke engagement i islam og den antiamerikanske og antiisraelske retorik i gruppens sange. Så som disse linier fra sangen ”I only ask of God”: ”I only ask of God – he won`t let me be indifferent to George Bush.” Outlandish har heller ikke noget problem med hverken hovedtørklæder eller burkaer. Til det tyske magasin Der Spiegel har Outlandish udtalt sig mere åbenmundet end herhjemme om videoen til hit-nummeret ”Aicha”, en hyldest til Muhammeds barnebrud. I en artikel i Dansk Folkepartis Ungdoms medlemsblad fra september 2004 har Kenneth Kristensen citeret Isam Bachiri for at have sagt følgende til Der Spiegel: ”I vores video bærer kvinderne slør, fordi vores kærester, søstre og mødre gør det.” I samme artikel i Der Spiegel fortalte Waqas Qadri, at den statuette, bandet havde fået som bedste hip-hop band, en nøgen kvinde, var blevet dækket til med en kjole, så den fremstod tækkeligt. Qadri har i øvrigt til det danske ungdomsmagasin Chili udtalt, at han er gift med sin kusine, og at ægteskabet var arrangeret af hans mor. I DR2 programmet Clement Direkte den 21. oktober 2006, spurgte programværten Clement Kjærsgaard, om ikke burkaer skal forbydes, og om burkaer ikke er kvindeundertrykkende og middelalderlige. Isam Bachiri svarede, at burkaer ikke skulle forbydes, og på spørgsmålet om der ikke var tale om et undertrykkende og fortidigt fænomen, svarede han: "overhovedet ikke". Derimod var Jyllands-Postens tegninger af Muhammed et stort problem. De var på niveau med de trusselsbreve, som Waqas Qadri fortalte, han modtog. Det hjalp heller ikke på integrationen at publicere den slags. Hvis han nu sagde, at dronning Margrethe var narkoluder, ville folk så ikke blive stødte? Martyrdød og muslimernes bitre fjender Amr Khaled – billet til Paradis ”Reviving the Islamic Spirit” blev første gang afholdt i 2003 og har været en årlig tilbagevendende begivenhed, og både Hamza Yusuf og Tariq al-Suweidan har været faste talere hvert år. En anden tidligere taler er den egyptiske TV-prædikant Amr Khaled, der mener, at hovedtørklædet er kvindens adgangsbillet til Paradis, og som også deltog i konferencen i Eigtveds Pakhus i marts i år. Her krævede han, at danske skolebøger skulle tilpasses, så de ikke fornærmer Muhammed og islam.
Den mest omdiskuterede tidligere taler på ”Reviving the Islamic Spirit” er den radikale britiske imam Riyadh ul-Haq, der blev nægtet indrejse i Canada her i sommer. Årsagen var, at ul-Haq har kaldt hinduer og jøder for de bitreste fjender af muslimerne og lovprist martyrdøden i islam. Outlandish har tidligere spillet ved et eid-fest arrangement i Tyskland og optræder i stigende grad ved prestigeomgærdede begivenheder her i landet. Bl.a. optrådte de ved Bogmessens litteraturprisuddeling i november, hvor de fremførte Poul Henningsens berømte tekst ”Man binder os på mund og haand”. Outlandish medvirkede også i det musikalske underholdningsshow Rock `n` Royal i Parken i maj 2004 i anledning af Kronprins Frederik og kronprinsesse Marys forestående bryllup. Her advarede bandet den kommende kronprinsesse Mary om den eneste person, hun burde tage sig i agt for i Danmark: Pia Kjærsgaard. Men mon dog ikke Outlandish er en større trussel mod demokratiet, ligestillingen og ytringsfriheden? Kilde:http://www.sappho.dk/Nr.%203%20juni%202006/spencer.htm
http://www.google.fr/search?q=photo+isam+bachiri+blog&hl=fr&lr=&start=10&sa=N
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
