On Tuesday, the spokesman of Iran's Ministry of Culture described rap music as a "symbol of Western music and contrary to Iranian culture," stating that "we have not had and will not have rap music," and that no permits have been issued for this type of music so far. According to Mehr News Agency, Hossein Nooshabadi, the spokesman, said on Tuesday, December 9, "We have not had rap music and we will not have it. No permits have been issued for what is described as a symbol of Western music and contrary to Islamic Iranian culture, and it is unlikely that a permit has been issued under this title." He added, "The pop music section is separate, and we have localized this type of music according to our culture, and concerts for it are held, but rap music promotes disorder and lawlessness." These statements come despite previous promises by Pirouz Arjomand, the director of the music office of this ministry, who in an interview with Shargh newspaper in September of this year promised that rap songs and albums would receive permits in Iran. According to Mr. Arjomand, rap music "has roots in Iranian culture. We have recitation, poetry recitation, and long meter poetry in our culture; even Iranian epic poets who recited poetry or Shahnameh used a kind of quasi-rap music." In recent years, many music groups in Iran have operated underground in various styles, including rap and rock, due to the lack of permits from the Ministry of Culture, and some of them have gained significant popularity among the people. There have also been numerous reports of the arrest of members of these groups by Iranian police. Meanwhile, after several weeks of discussions about Yanni and the concert he is supposed to hold in Iran, the spokesman of the Ministry of Culture stated on Tuesday that no request for a permit for this concert has yet been submitted to the ministry. According to Mr. Nooshabadi, if a request for holding Yanni's concert is submitted, it will be reviewed according to the laws and after "coordination with other relevant institutions." This comes despite Mr. Arjomand's previous announcement in November that Yanni would perform in Tehran and Kish in the coming months. Yanni is a well-known composer in Iran, famous for several concerts such as his performance at the Acropolis in Greece and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Kitaro, a renowned Japanese artist, visited Iran in late October and held four performances in Tehran. He was supposed to perform for a fifth night but was prevented from doing so due to opposition from the police's places of business department.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Culture: We Have Not and Will Not Have Rap Music
The Iranian Ministry of Culture has officially stated that rap music is not permitted in the country, labeling it as contrary to Iranian culture. This contradicts earlier promises made by a ministry official regarding the potential for rap music to receive permits. The ongoing debate reflects broader tensions between cultural expression and government censorship in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Iranian Ministry of Culture announced that rap music is not permitted in the country, labeling it as contrary to Iranian culture. This contradicts earlier statements by a ministry official who suggested that rap might receive permits.
- No permits for rap music have been issued, according to the Ministry of Culture.
- This announcement follows a previous promise that rap music would be allowed, indicating a shift in policy.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Rap music, often associated with Western culture, faces significant censorship in Iran, where the government regulates artistic expression. Despite this, underground music scenes have flourished, reflecting a demand for diverse cultural forms.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%