Wednesday 11th November 2009 | Posted by Chris

Finally! On this week's show you can hear the results of my investigation into the underground music scene in Iran.

As I'm sure you know it's a country with ultra-conservative rules and much political strife, but I've learnt that a thriving underground scene has existed there throughout most of the period since the Islamic Revolution. As many of the contributors imply, young people are fundamentally the same wherever they come from - they like to party.

Making the programme has taken many months - I have found lots of people unwilling or reluctant to talk, occasionally even pulling out shortly before scheduled interviews. Pseudonyms have also been used for some of the people who made the final cut.

It has been a fascinating journey though and I've met some amazing people - smart, open-minded, very fashionable and passionate about music. There is an electric blend of anger, enthusiasm and optimism pouring through their anecdotes.

The music coming out of Iran (mostly from Tehran) and the Persian diaspora varies greatly in quality, largely as one contributor admits due to lack of opportunities for genuine critical reception - but there are some real gems - indie rock, hip hop, folk, dance and fusion sounds are all being produced.

Over the last few months I have developed enormous respect for the young people at their parties across the country - they are taking a real and genuine risk doing what they do and their stories both scared and inspired me. Have a listen, I'm sure what they say will have a similar impact on you.

Reply

Your Name:

Email: (will not be displayed)

Comment: