Iran's 'culturally inappropriate' rock hopefuls struggle to be heard

The Guardian:

The soaring guitar solos and haunting keyboard melodies owe more than a nod to Pink Floyd, Yes, Deep Purple and other ageing icons of 70s British rock.

But while they may have emulated their heroes' musical virtuosity, the members of Norik Misakian Band are unlikely to follow their path to world fame and fortune. As one of hundreds of Iranian rock acts springing up despite official disapproval, the group has never been able to experience playing a live gig in even the smallest setting. READ MORE

And far from coveting the hedonistic lifestyles of western rock stars, its four members have all but given up hope of earning a living from their music. Now they are trying to breach the cultural and bureaucratic barriers separating them from an audience by seeking permission to release their first album.

They are doing so in the face of mistrust from Iran's Islamic authorities, who see rock as a symbol of western decadence and political protest.

"We are swimming against the tide and we anticipate that it might be impossible," said Misakian, 34, the band's lead guitarist and songwriter. "There are so many problems in trying to gain permission to release music and very often bands give up. But we won't give up. What's important for us isn't the financial issue but going beyond the boundaries and ensuring the album is available in music shops."

The ministry of culture and Islamic guidance has already rejected the 10-track instrumental album - carrying the English title Trails of the Soul - saying western rock is the product of drug addicts.

Undaunted, the group has reapplied for permission in what will be an important test of the cultural climate under Iran's ultra-conservative new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. To do so, its producer is trying to persuade the authorities that its aims are purely musical, not political.

The album is the product of two and a half years of writing and recording in a tiny basement studio in the capital, Tehran.

If it gains official approval, the band intends to distribute the album as a DVD to Europe, the US and Gulf states, as well as outlets in Iran.

Without that approval, it will never be allowed to perform on stage. Only artists allowed to release CDs can seek permission to play live. "It's impossible to make a living from rock music in Iran," said Edvin Markarien, 30, the bass player. "You are playing for yourself. It's art for art's sake."

The band's plight reflects that of dozens of rock acts across Iran, only a handful of whom have released their music commercially.

The culture ministry vets all proposed releases for musical and lyrical content. To allay its suspicions, some groups, such as the Norik Misakian Band, write songs without lyrics. But the ministry, which does not officially recognise rock in its permitted music categories, frequently rejects such work as culturally inappropriate.

Some artists have responded by setting up websites to distribute their material. Denied permission to perform live, others organise secret concerts in makeshift venues such as private homes or underground car parks, risking punishment by lashing if caught.

The restrictions, however, do not appear to have deterred the artists. A contest organised by an unofficial cultural website, Tehran Avenue, to find the most promising new Iranian music acts has attracted 86 entrants, more than 80% of whom are rock bands.

"Most of these bands are underground, with little chance of getting their work released, but their number is rising," said the website's founder, Sohrab Mahdavi. "It makes sense. The young generation is with us. Around 70% of Iran's population is under the age of 35 and so many of them are inclined towards rock music."

The trend is a remarkable transformation since the 1979 revolution, when all music, except revolutionary and religious songs, was banned. The embargo was partially lifted after a ruling from Iran's late religious leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, which permitted traditional folk music.

Rock, which was popular before the revolution, began a comeback in the 1990s after a cultural thaw introduced by the then president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and extended by his reformist successor, Mohammed Khatami.

As a result, a wide selection of previously forbidden music, from artists such as David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead, is legally available. But acts such as Madonna and Abba are ruled out by the Islamic ban on the female singing voice.