Overview of Iranian Music News This Week

As usual every Friday, today's music reviews the most important music news of the week. This week marks the birthday of Akbar Golpayegani, a famous singer, statements from the spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture regarding the permit for Habib's album release, and the passing of Iraj Taheri, a composer, lyricist, and musician residing in the USA, have been notable events in the past seven days. On the occasion of the 81st birthday of Akbar Golpayegani, renowned artists such as Hooshang Kamkar, Mohammad Sarir, Davood Ganjei, Hassan Riahi, Shahin Farhat, and Loris Chekna Varian, as well as the Deputy Minister of Artistic Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ali Moradkhani, visited him. Golpayegani stated, "I was one of the four singers of the Eternal Flowers. I do not need worldly possessions and have donated my rights and benefits related to veteran artists. I intend to dedicate my residence to the music conservatory so that interested youth can benefit from this opportunity." He also mentioned that he recently received a poem and song from Mr. Pazouki and wished to sing it at the age of 82. He expressed concern about the lack of emotional depth in the works of young singers despite their technical progress. In this meeting, Mohammad Sarir, the chairman of the Music House, requested Golpayegani to become an honorary member of the Music House, expressing regret that today's youth will not have memories associated with his voice. Hamidreza Nourbakhsh, the CEO of the Music House, also wished Golpayegani good health in a phone call. On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Hossein Nooshabadi, addressed questions from journalists regarding the reasons for not granting a permit for Habib Mohammadian's album, stating that the issuance of artistic works does not depend on the government under which the work was approved, but rather on the current conditions and existing laws. Habib Mohammadian, a successful pre-revolution singer, has been trying to officially continue his artistic activities since his return to Iran in 2009. He was arrested earlier this summer while producing a music video. Additionally, Iraj Taheri, a well-known Iranian musician, passed away on Saturday, February 4. He was an experienced wind instrument player and composer who collaborated with many popular artists before the revolution. His funeral was held in Los Angeles on February 7.