Reception of Iranian Composer's Work in Mercedes-Benz Commercial; Mehdi Rajabian: I Wanted to Evoke Nostalgic Feelings

The German automotive company Mercedes-Benz has used a piece composed by Iranian composer Mehdi Rajabian in its advertisement for classic cars. The release of this new ad on Mercedes-Benz's social media accounts has garnered reactions from users, especially Iranians, and attracted a large audience. Mehdi Rajabian told Voice of America, "This is an orchestral piece that I wrote exclusively for the classic and vintage car section of Mercedes-Benz some time ago. The initial idea for the visual part was explained to me by the creators of the Mercedes-Benz teaser, and I tried to complete the music according to their mindset." Mr. Rajabian adds that in this piece, which is arranged for strings, violin, and piano, he aimed to establish a nostalgic feeling and translate what is in the minds of the company's German managers into music. According to this Iranian composer, "This is my first collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, and several other pieces in this framework are on the way and will be released soon." Mehdi Rajabian states, "The history of Mercedes-Benz and its connection to parts of Iran's history inspired me to welcome this collaboration, and after reaching an agreement with the advertising and artistic managers of this German company, the project began." Mr. Rajabian adds, "In the 1970s, Iran exclusively ordered G-Class vehicles from Mercedes-Benz for military use, which was a very significant event for this German company." He notes that the production line of these vehicles, with new updates, still began with orders from Iran, which was very important for a major automotive company like Mercedes-Benz. Mehdi Rajabian recalls that perhaps these historical records serve as a common point for Iranian Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. This Iranian composer expressed happiness that the music of this piece has nearly one million viewers on his Instagram account, stating that such a reception for a wordless piece is remarkable. He mentions that this piece is the beginning of a path he is very passionate about and is eagerly awaiting the completion and release of the next pieces. Mehdi Rajabian was announced as the winner of the second annual "International Art Award for Minority Artists" on November 2 last year. The website "Billboard" reported this news citing the United Nations website, stating that Rajabian, an Iranian composer who cannot leave Iran due to three imprisonments related to his musical activities, was praised in absentia by the International Art Council of the United Nations. This award is given to artists who present discrimination and societal issues through art. In response to receiving this award, Mehdi Rajabian sent a message to the United Nations, stating that silence in the face of oppression is collaboration with the oppressor, and said, "Perseverance, resistance, and independence are our duties against oppression, tyranny, and human rights violations." Mehdi Rajabian was the first artist in the field of music to receive the "United Nations Art Award" after competing with 80 artists from various countries. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences condemned the prison sentence for Shervin Hajipour. The performance of the piece "Zarathustra" at the "Women, Life, Freedom" concert; Hooman Khalaj: The goal was to support the freedom-seeking struggles of the Iranian people. The reaction of Iranian artists to the death sentence of the protesting rapper: Free Toumaj Salehi. Omar Akram, an Afghan composer nominated for a Grammy: I take pride in the culture, art, Afghan roots, and the Persian language. Mehdi Rajabian, an Iranian composer, won the United Nations Art Award. The Voices Project; a new version of the song "For" was released with the participation of over 16,000 volunteers.