Aug 1, 2018

An acclaimed singer of traditional Persian music has offered to hold free, open-air street concerts to alleviate the everyday pains and help fellow Iranians “pass through the fire.”

On his Instagram page, Homayoun Shajarian told followers that the move is meant to make everyone “feel slightly better.” He noted that if the official authorization process is smooth, he will not seek any profit from the events.

Homayoun is the son of legendary classical musician Mohammad Reza Shajarian, described by many as the master of traditional Persian music. However, having shown his unique talents while in his teens, Homayoun never rode on his father’s coattails. It was only last month when the son canceled a highly prestigious concert-drama at Tehran’s Sa’dabad Palace, a move interpreted as a protest against the economic woes that the Iranian working and middle classes are grappling with.

His latest offer has been lauded by officials. “We will do everything in our disposal to hold the concerts. … We believe that such programs could help promote the sense of social happiness. I will personally do my best to help Shajarian get the official permits,” Hojjat Nazari, spokesman for the Cultural and Social Commission of the Tehran City Council, was quoted as saying by Khorasan newspaper.

In recent years, acquiring permits for concerts has resulted in disappointment for many musicians in Iran. Repeated cancellations in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad have been blamed on hard-line authorities within the judiciary. Those cancellations have even sparked criticism from President Hassan Rouhani and Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry officials. The same concern was echoed in Shajarian’s Instagram post, where he set everything on the issuance of the permit.