Abbas Ghaderi's 'Qasam' Released Without Permit in Tehran

The music website Musiqi Ma has reported the release and distribution of 'Qasam', the latest album by popular singer Abbas Ghaderi in Tehran, describing it as 'strange'. According to the website, it is still unclear whether this album has received a permit for release from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Shahram Ghaderi, the son of this veteran singer and the composer of the songs in his father's latest album, states that the distribution of this album in some cultural product stores has surprised them as well: 'We went to inquire, they themselves have taken a package and printed it. They have also copied the music and are selling it. We cannot go and stop this issue.' It has been just over a year since the production of the album 'Qasam'. The cover of this album, which was released in the USA, bears the logo of the 'Taraneh' company, one of the old music production companies outside Iran. Shahram Ghaderi complains about the distribution of this album in Iran without the usual and customary coordination: 'We spent everything out of our own pockets; they are selling it and nothing comes to us.' Recently, there were also reports about holding a concert for Abbas Ghaderi in Iran. On Sunday, Farzad Talebi, the director of music at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, told Mehr News Agency that 'no permit has been issued for this concert.' However, Shahram Ghaderi says they have made efforts in this regard: 'We go back and forth to the ministry, talk to them, we are following up, they have promised us that we can hold a concert for the benefit of cancer-stricken and orphaned children, and they are cooperating.' The director of the music office at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance reacted to the release and distribution of the album 'Qasam', stating that the music office 'has not received any request for the production of this album' and according to Farzad Talebi, 'naturally, the music office has not issued any permit for the release and distribution of this album under the name of the mentioned singer.' The album 'Qasam', featuring the voice of Abbas Ghaderi and composed by Shahram Ghaderi, contains eleven tracks, some of which were written by old lyricists like Masoud Fardmanesh. Shahram Ghaderi: 'We go back and forth to the ministry, talk to them, we are following up, they have promised us that we can hold a concert for the benefit of cancer-stricken and orphaned children, and they are cooperating.' Nevertheless, Shahram Ghaderi considers the overall atmosphere of the work to be different from his father's previous works: 'Our work is almost the same; but it is more modern, we have to keep up with the times. The melodies used to be a bit older, with live and acoustic instruments that were used back then. But I arranged the melodies using new software and what I know.' In the album 'Qasam', Abbas Ghaderi has again turned to familiar lyricists in the style of popular music and has drawn on the works of Bamdad Joybari, whose name is associated with the songs 'Bet-Parast' and 'Maro Ba Digar'i sung by Nematollah Aghasi. In the album 'Qasam', traces of Saeed Mohanavian, an old collaborator of Abbas Ghaderi, can also be seen.