for his statements against the government. They are just two of many Iranian artists who are being targeted by the Islamic government.
I grew up in a family where music was cherished. It was the centerpiece of our shabbats/dinners. My family would gather around the piano to hear my aunt’s rendition of [classic Iranian song] “Gole Sang” or a piano sonata from Mozart. If you were Iranian and didn’t have a piano in your home, it was borderline blasphemous. The piano got a lot of attention in the home. My dad and aunt were classically trained pianists at a young age.
Did you ever feel that you had to separate your Iranian identity from your job in the music industry, to “whitewash” yourself, as it were?This question is so complicated, deep and really hard to give a proper answer to in short form. There are so many layers and dimensions to it. I always tell people I am Iranian who grew up in Sweden. If I say Iranian only, I don’t feel accurately represented. If I say Sweden alone, that also misrepresents who I am.
[Hajipour’s and Salehi’s] music is necessary. Their music personified the struggle of the people of Iran versus the Islamic regime. So much music has already been outlawed in Iran, but these songs turned embers into a wildfire and people connected to the cause worldwide. Music on social media is like bread for a sandwich. Their music framed so much footage coming out of Iran.