Morteza Pashaei: 'Breaking Free from Imitation, a Fierce Battle Against Cancer'

The untimely death of young Iranian pop music figure Morteza Pashaei not only saddened his friends and fans but also came as a sorrowful news for many who knew him less. This 30-year-old singer, musician, and composer had been battling stomach cancer for a year and ultimately passed away on Friday morning, November 23, in Tehran. His cultural portfolio includes several singles and three albums, the latest of which, titled 'His Name is Love', was released just a couple of months ago. Pashaei began his professional career about four years ago, and two years later, his first album titled 'There is One' hit the market. Iranian lyricist and journalist Babak Sahraei believes that although Morteza Pashaei was initially recognized as a follower of styles from artists like Shahram Nazeri and Mohsen Yeganeh, he soon found an independent way in creating musical works. Sahraei: 'He was among the few singers who quickly managed to break out of this so-called imitation circle and establish a suitable position for himself. He quickly achieved artistic and intellectual independence and even surpassed some of the singers he initially imitated at times. He became a top-tier singer, both in terms of lyrics, music, and performance, as well as in market reception and popularity. We can consider Morteza Pashaei among the most popular singers of the last four to five years, and certainly, with this unfortunate event, this popularity will endure.' Iranian poet and lyricist Hassan Alishiri sees the current state of the Iranian music market as a factor in Morteza Pashaei's success, categorizing his works as part of a simple and easy style of pop music that is currently popular in Iran. Alishiri: 'It is a popular music based on very simple lyrics, relatively familiar melodies that have similarities to lamentation spaces, and simple arrangements that recall past popular atmospheres... Morteza Pashaei's music has also been in this space. The number of works he has published in recent years is not very large, but for various reasons, it has been well received. We cannot consider his works above the standard market level.' In recent months, rumors have circulated suggesting that the announcement of the popular singer's illness was merely a marketing tactic to attract a better audience or that he was commercially exploiting this issue. However, Babak Sahraei dismisses any such accusations as baseless, stating that Morteza Pashaei did not need such tactics to gain credibility. Sahraei: 'We must look at it from another angle. The audience of Iranian music has no pretenses with their artist. If Morteza Pashaei did not perform good pieces, rest assured that people would not listen, meaning it would remain just a news headline that an artist has fallen ill. However, Morteza Pashaei produced more beautiful pieces during his terminal illness, and in terms of performance, lyrics, and music, they are at an acceptable level. Lyricist Hassan Alishiri does not see the young talent's battle with cancer as unrelated to his growing popularity but believes that such an issue is entirely natural and does not warrant suspicion or blame. Alishiri: 'In any part of the world, if a young singer were battling cancer, the media would certainly pay attention to him, and audiences would pay attention to him... even much more than the attention Morteza Pashaei received in our official media. The aspect of his battle with cancer has been much more prominent than his musical activity, and it has been more impactful. Now, if you see that in social media or networks, ordinary people and many artists are talking about Morteza Pashaei, I believe it is more because of his fierce battle with cancer over the past year than because of the works they have heard from him. Instead of lying in bed, he preferred to create work and appear on stage at music concerts... and I see this aspect of Morteza Pashaei's personality as much more prominent than his professional side. The body of the 30-year-old singer and composer Morteza Pashaei will be buried on Sunday, November 25, in the artists' section of Tehran's Behesht Zahra cemetery.