Release of the Album 'Being' by Siavash Behbahani; Describing a 'Turbulent Society on the Brink of Explosion'

The album 'Being', the new work of Siavash Behbahani, an Iranian singer residing in Northern California, has been released. This album, featuring fusion and social pieces, is an experimental work and is considered a different collection in the field of Iranian music. Siavash Behbahani, in addition to performing, has written the vocal melodies for most of the pieces, with composition and arrangement by Sahba Amini Kia. This collection is shaped using the poetry of figures such as Ahmad Shamlu, Hushang Ebtehaj, Shafiei Kadkani, and Sadegh Hedayat. Siavash Behbahani, born in Esfand 1363 (March 1985) in Tehran, received his bachelor's degree in physics from Sharif University and migrated to the United States at the age of 22 to pursue a PhD. He began singing at the age of 16 with classes from Najmeh Tajaddod and learned the radifs of Abdollah Khan Dooami from Jahangir Mehrpouran. From the beginning, he learned a lot from the teachings of Shahram Nazeri and considers himself influenced by this master of Iranian music. Siavash Behbahani tells Voice of America: 'The motivation for producing this album is rooted in my interest in the old Iranian singing. In the singing of Eghbal Azar, Ghamar, and Nakisa, I see speed and improvisation that can be impactful elements in today's music.' He adds: 'On the other hand, I see traditional music historically intertwined with the ghazals of Saadi and Hafez. Despite my admiration for these greats, I feel that human emotions have expanded, and to express them, Iranian singing also needs to evolve.' According to Mr. Behbahani, in this different experience, he preserves the roots and authenticity of Iranian singing and collaborates with Sahba Amini Kia to explore new spaces in orchestration, singing, and engagement with contemporary poetry. One of the features of the album 'Being' is its social and impactful pieces that resonate with the current conditions in Iran. Siavash Behbahani states: 'The pieces of the album were created before the current events in Iran and were being recorded during the Women's Life Freedom movement, but since the concerns of the songs are social, they unconsciously align with the conditions of that era and today's Iran.' He continues: 'For example, in the song 'Desert' with a poem by Ahmad Shamlu, a turbulent society is described that is on the brink of explosion at any moment. Or the song 'Being', which also has a poem by Shamlu, speaks of the philosophy of life and how you want to live, indifferently, or leave a mark of yourself.' According to Mr. Behbahani, right after the album's release, he and Sahba Amini Kia prepared the single 'Freedom' based on a design by Farid Elahimi and with a poem by Ahmad Shamlu for the Women's Life Freedom movement, which continues the thematic line of the album, and a music video was also created for it. This Iranian singer states: 'This poem speaks of the absence of freedom, what happens if it exists, and what pains accompany its absence, and the presence of people and shouting for freedom is accompanied by prosperity.' Siavash Behbahani expresses satisfaction with the reactions to the album and reminds that he had a research goal in producing this collection and intended to propose new spaces and ideas in this field. Mr. Behbahani further adds that even if only a few people understand his feelings in this collection, he feels he has achieved his goal and feels satisfied. According to this singer, listening to such works requires a lot of concentration, which may be very difficult in today's busy life. For this reason, he is grateful to all art lovers who spend their time listening to the pieces of the album 'Being'.