Release of the Music Video 'Drunkenness on the Wet Rooftop'; Emad Ghavidel: My Goal is Cultural Awareness

The release of the new music video by Emad Ghavidel, an Iranian rapper, has sparked significant reactions on social media. This work, titled 'Drunkenness on the Wet Rooftop' and composed by Amin Shoa' Sharq, involved a group of renowned artists from music, cinema, and theater in Iran. Like other works by Emad Ghavidel, this song has a social theme and musically narrates one of the current problems in Iran: the consumption of counterfeit alcoholic beverages, which poses great dangers to the youth of the country. Emad Ghavidel explains to VOA the reasons for addressing such a topic: 'The issue of counterfeit alcoholic beverages is very prominent in Iran, especially in the past month or two, we have heard a lot of news about it. Unfortunately, many young people in their parties in Karaj, Hamadan, Isfahan, and the north have gone blind due to consuming counterfeit alcoholic beverages and methanol, and some have lost their lives.' He points out that various statistics from media outside Iran indicate the widespread nature of this issue, while domestic media cover such news less for various reasons. Emad Ghavidel adds that over the past years, he has lost three uncles due to counterfeit alcoholic beverages, making this topic personally and familially significant for him. He states: 'The story of this music video is very close to the reality of my life and the experiences I have gone through. Our family lived in one house, and my grandfather drank alcohol every night, and the issues that arose because of this troubled my soul from childhood, and I referenced some of them in this song, for example, I say, bitterness has penetrated my soul, I wish my fate was favorable.' Emad Ghavidel also criticizes a young Iranian rapper who frequently mentions alcohol in his works and promotes the consumption of alcoholic beverages and drugs in his music videos. In his song, he addresses this rapper: 'You say from the state of my intoxication, from the nightmare of childhood days, in front of me, the innocent child, alcohol at home, daily turmoil, bitterness has penetrated my soul, I wish my fate was favorable, now there’s nothing in our hands, no one thinks of our growth, for the youth who have no one behind them, don’t talk about drunkenness on the wet rooftop.' Emad Ghavidel emphasizes that due to the importance of this part of the lyrics, he chose the title 'Drunkenness on the Wet Rooftop' for his song. He mentions that the music video, directed by Milad Bariran, was made cinematically and is essentially a short film. He expresses gratitude for the participation of Master Iraj Khajeh Amiri, a renowned Iranian music artist, in producing this artistic project. Emad Ghavidel states: 'Iraj Khajeh Amiri, as an old singer, a master, and one of the celebrities of Iranian music, joined us in this work. It is interesting for many that he sings in a Persian rap song, and this has received a lot of attention.' Ramin Rastad, a famous cinema and television actor, Keyvan Khosro Moradi, a prominent theater artist from Gilan, and Mojtaba Pourbakhsh, a former and experienced presenter of the sports network, are among other figures who play roles in this music video. According to this Iranian rapper, his goal in releasing this work is cultural awareness, and he wants to tell young people to be aware because many current Persian rap works promote the consumption of alcoholic beverages and drugs. He further notes that one or two of these rappers are from Rasht and addresses them in this song. Emad Ghavidel mentions that 'Halaleh' is one of the latest clips made in this regard, showing two singers drinking alcohol in Rasht and coastal areas, introducing this city and the north as a region where everyone is constantly drinking alcoholic beverages. This Iranian rapper emphasizes that he believes such works have a bad appearance and do not convey a good message for 15-16-year-olds entering society, especially in Iranian society where parents, due to struggles with economic, social, spiritual, psychological, and emotional issues, do not have the opportunity to fully care for their children and educate them. Emad Ghavidel states: 'I was really worried about this issue because, as I said, I have experienced the harms caused by alcohol consumption several times in my family, and for this reason, I felt I had to do something about it and convey my message to teenagers and young people.' The release of the music video 'Drunkenness on the Wet Rooftop' has received a lot of feedback on Radio Javan, YouTube, and social media, and has been discussed from artistic and social perspectives.