In late September, protests broke out across Iran as tens of thousands of people, led by women and girls, demanded liberation from the Islamic Republic’s theocracy. The protests began after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who is in the custody of the ethics police for allegedly violating the headscarf rules.
Iranians tweeted their objections using the hashtag #baraye (or “#for”). Hajipour weaves those tweets into lyrics, naming her songs after hashtags. He composed and recorded music song from his bedroom in his parents’ house in the coastal city of Babolsar.
When Iranians shared their reasons for protest via tweets, Hajipour incorporated some of those reasons into his verses:
“Out of shame for not having a penny in his pocket; For longing for a normal life; For the child worker and his dream; For this totalitarian economy; For this polluted air; For this obligatory paradise; For imprisoned intellectuals; For all the empty slogans
Over the past five months, everywhere Iranians have gathered at home and abroad, be it Demonstrationfuneral, celebrationLong walk, concert, shopping mall, coffee shop, college campus, high school or stuck in traffic, they played the flute and sang the lyrics in unison:
“To have a sense of peace; Let the sun rise after long dark nights; For stress relievers and insomnia; For people, homeland, prosperity; For the girl who wishes she was born a boy; For women, for life, for freedom…For Freedom.”
The Grammys will elevate the song’s status even further.
“’Nahid Siamdoust, author of “Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran.” “It’s giving the highest musical award for their protest song.”
Siamdoust, also an assistant professor of media and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Texas at Austin, says that although music has played an important political role in Iran since the constitutional revolution a few years ago, a century, but there is no song that compares to “Baraye” in Iran. in terms of reach and impact. “Music can go through families and communities and spread love in a way that few other mediums can,” she said.
IN short documentary in 2019 About his musical journey which was recently aired on BBC Persian, Mr. Hajipour said he started learning to play classical violin at the age of 8, and started composing at the age of 12. He also said that he has a university degree in economics but works professionally. musicians, composing music for clients and recording their own songs.
He says that his passion is to make disruptive music and that he was inspired by the pain and suffering he has experienced and witnessed.
