Host: Mortaza Barjasteh Guests: Ferdowsi, Reza Shah, Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Real Human Music: The Scent of the Mulberry Stream Dinner Menu: Broad Bean Rice with Fish This week's host is Mortaza Barjasteh, known artistically as Mortaza. He is one of the most famous pop singers in Iran and became very popular in the 1970s. He has performed over 300 songs and recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his artistic career with the release of an album titled "Gratitude." He has also sung songs for more than 50 Persian films. Mortaza has reinterpreted many Iranian folklore songs and released them in two albums, "Dayeh Dayeh" and "Anar Anar." He studied architecture and is very interested in design and graphics, having designed the covers of many Iranian artists' albums. Mortaza purchased a famous Iranian music recording studio in Los Angeles to promote Iranian art and established the Iranian Cultural House there. I met him in that studio.
Mortaza: "Dear Mortaza, welcome to the hosting program. Can you tell us who you invited for dinner?"
About Mortaza Barjasteh: He is one of the most famous pop singers in Iran who became very popular in the 1970s. He has performed over 300 songs and recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his artistic career with the album "Gratitude."
Mortaza: "Hello to you and your listeners. Honestly, in the past couple of days since you suggested this interview, I have been in quite a predicament! I have thought a lot about this program and how beautiful the subject and idea are... Many people came to my mind to invite tonight. First of all, we don't have enough space, and your program doesn't have that much room. Anyway, I prepared a list of these individuals to see who has been influential in our work as Iranians and in society, and who has been influential in the world. After going through this list, I wrote and tore it up, thinking, 'What should I do?' Sorry!... I selected some individuals.
Who are they? Let me first not mention their names. I will talk about them one by one, and then I will invite them into the room. Of course, you might guess who they are during this conversation, and I am sure you will. Because they have been influential in our history and some of them in the world.
You know we want to play music for your guests at the dinner... Mortaza Barjasteh / The Scent of the Mulberry Stream
Selected Music: The Scent of the Mulberry Stream Performed by: Marzieh and Benan Lyrics by: Rudaki Composer: Rouhollah Khalighi
This is a piece I love very much, and I also reinterpreted it years ago after it had been performed for 32 years. It is a poem by Rudaki called The Scent of the Mulberry Stream. This song was performed by Mr. Benan and Marzieh, and it is one of those pieces that takes me back to history and the past, showing how much a poem and song can influence the fate of a country. I chose this song for the guests.
Let's return to your guests. My first guest is someone who was born in Tus and Khorasan. It's not too hard to guess!
Mortaza's Guests / Ferdowsi
Abu al-Qasim Ferdowsi (329 to 416 AH): Renowned Iranian Poet Important Work: Shahnameh (Book of Kings) Reason for Invitation: If it weren't for Ferdowsi, we might not have the Persian language, and perhaps our Persian identity and culture would not exist. What he did was influential in the history of a country.
There are many great figures in Khorasan. But this person has overshadowed Iranian culture. If he hadn't been there... Let me say this, and you will recognize him... perhaps our Persian identity and culture would not exist. One reason he became so famous was due to his daughter's dowry, and then the king at the time betrayed him, and he wrote some satirical poems about the king, which were certainly out of anger. He had every right to be angry. A person who dedicated thirty years of his life to the Persian language and culture, and for many years, the Iranian nation has been indebted to him culturally and linguistically, had every right to be angry when they didn't give him what they promised for his daughter's dowry. You can certainly guess. He spent thirty years writing poetry and was from Tus, reviving the Persian language... Yes, Iranian culture owes a lot to Ferdowsi of Tus. If Ferdowsi hadn't existed, we might have spoken Arabic. What he did was influential in the history of a country, reviving the Persian language. This is very impactful and interesting for me, and let’s invite this great Sheikh to come into the room... Sheikh Abu al-Qasim Ferdowsi... Welcome.
Mortaza's Guests / Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi (1256 to 1323 SH): A prominent figure in contemporary Iranian history Fame: Founder of the Pahlavi dynasty Achievements: Construction of the national railway of Iran, modernization and expansion of Iran's road infrastructure, founding of Tehran University, establishment of police, judiciary, and many modern institutions in Iranian society, unveiling of women and standardizing men's clothing Reason for Invitation: It was at a time when Iran was almost disintegrated, this man came and took everything in hand and began to quell the rebellions. He became the head of the Pahlavi dynasty and performed many commendable services.
As I mentioned in the first part about the first guest, how influential he was in our history, I have another person who is truly respectable to me. If this person hadn't been in our country like Ferdowsi, we might not even have been Iranian. This person was born in Mazandaran. After his father died, his mother decided to bring him to Tehran. When he was thirteen or fourteen, he joined the army and due to his bravery, he drew attention. It was during the time of Ahmad Shah Qajar. At a time when Iran was almost disintegrated. The northern part of Iran was to be taken by Russia and the southern part by Britain. Well, there was a rebellion between the Soviets and the British, and there were negotiations about how much they would take. Britain decided to somehow cut the Soviets' foothold in Iran. Ahmad Shah was a child and a coward. He fled the country, and this person was accepted as Prime Minister. He reached the Prime Ministership. Then when chaos erupted, this person took power. He executed a small coup against the Russians and curtailed their influence. Perhaps this was an experience for him to execute a larger coup and save the country from this disorder. At the time this person came and wanted to carry out this coup, I think you already know who this person is, just don’t reveal my hand... It was at a time when Iran was almost disintegrated, and this man came and took everything in hand and began to quell these rebellions. Besides quelling these rebellions, he caused a significant amount of development after he ascended to the throne. He emerged from a very poor family. He had various names throughout his life. Reza Khan, Reza Savadkouhi, then gradually as he rose through the ranks in the army, he became Reza Khan Mirpanj... We are getting closer! Then Reza Shah became the first person to give a surname to the people of Iran. At that time, there were no surnames. They would use the father's name. But he established surnames and chose Pahlavi for himself. He became the head of the Pahlavi dynasty and performed many commendable services.
So it turns out your second guest is Reza Shah Pahlavi. Because he is very angry and very powerful, and we have kept him waiting too long, let’s shorten the talk and play some music so that when he comes in, people won't realize he is shouting at me!
You have an affection for Reza Shah because he unified Iran at a time when the Russians and the British occupied parts of the country... What else did he do that is interesting for you... Reza Shah performed many services, built roads, established universities, and stood up against religion - bad religion - and did many commendable things that I would say in front of him.
Therefore, we invite your second guest, Reza Shah, to come to the dinner table. Now we reach your third guest, whose name we do not know yet, and you will understand who he is through the explanations you give.
Mortaza's Guests / Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): Political leader of India's independence Fame: Emphasis on non-violence Important Work: My Experiments with Truth Reason for Invitation: Because of his sacrifices and his slogan that one can achieve their rights through non-violence and kindness, this was important to me. He attracted the world with kindness and non-violence towards himself and his country.
My third guest is a gentleman who lived in a neighboring country to Iran. He was born in India. He is someone who was born into a poor family, and generally, those who emerge from the lower class understand the pain of the lower class. What is important to me is that he had nothing worldly. What matters to me is that he was able to claim his rights with humanity and kindness and prove to the world that without violence and with humanity and kindness, one can achieve what needs to be done.
Throughout his life, he wore a piece of cloth and had nothing in his house. When he was assassinated... One interesting thing this person did was that he was given the title of the Great Human. Named Mahatma.
We are getting closer! Yes, indeed... He was given the title of the Great Human. When the British government imposed a salt tax on India, there was nothing coming in. With hundreds and thousands of people, he went to the sea and began to produce salt. He said we can produce salt ourselves. Salt must have been important to them. Now why... But anyway, this was a protest. Because the production of salt was monopolized by the British. They said we can do it ourselves... we don't need you. And when they saw this person was steadfast and working for his people, they came and negotiated, and what the Indian government wanted was achieved through this person. It is very important to me that this person, who did many things, was not chosen just because he is famous in the world, but because of his sacrifices and his slogan that one can achieve their rights through non-violence and kindness, this was important to me. He attracted the world with kindness and non-violence towards himself and his country. And this was none other than Mahatma Gandhi. This poor man is also very old and standing at the door, and I should have invited him first because he is very weak and... with that one piece of cloth... let him come and sit down, and I think we need a song for Mahatma Gandhi... the leader of India's independence and one of the founders of the non-violence movement... Now we reach your fourth guest.
Mortaza's Guests / Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs (1955 to 2011): American innovator and entrepreneur Fame: A leading figure in new technologies Reason for Invitation: He transformed the world with changes in phones, communications, and computers. He truly changed life and influenced humanity and creation.
My fourth guest is American. I said I don't know if I should order pizza, hamburgers, or chelow kebab and abgoosht! Anyway, the cost of his travel and bringing him to Los Angeles is not expensive; he is in this area! Fortunately, this one became very cheap. Because he is American. Moreover, he is a very strange person. He has always been a role model for me, at least for the past 25 years. I have been in America for 35 years. I have followed his work.
What did he do that we should know more about? This person was born in San Francisco in 1955. He never graduated from any university. When he was about thirteen or fourteen, due to his great interest in electronics, he went to a factory called Atari that made gaming equipment, and they held a competition there where anyone could create a board that could be smaller and more compact, and they would give a hundred dollars for each step. One of his friends named Wozniak, who worked with him, started to make a board together that was fifty steps faster and smaller. Because of this fifty steps, they received five thousand dollars. This person and his friend built a computer in his garage that worked with a mouse for the first time. It had never existed before. They didn't even know what to name it. On their desk was a bitten apple, and he said let’s use this as the creation of this work because the bitten apple symbolizes Adam and Eve and the creation of humanity, and the bitten apple was chosen as the name Apple. You must have realized who this was. Steve Jobs. This person changed the world with this work.
I wanted to ask what he did that is important? I understand he created Apple and so on and impacted our lives in the twenty-first century? What Steve Jobs did with the production of computers was not just that. The phones and the transformations in communication and computers that Steve Jobs and Apple created changed the world. I mean, the iPhone today is one of their major products. It is unbelievable. It has changed our lives. It has truly changed life. It has influenced humanity and creation with the things he did, and then, well, a bit of Bill Gates...