Silence of the Strings

As I am writing this, global tensions are going through the roof! Bombs were falling in the Middle East from both sides, from Israel to Iran, and at any peripheral military bases within reach. These are some crazy times we’re living in, and the future is getting pretty darn hair-raising. With that said, I thought it would be interesting to delve a bit into Iran’s past with its music scene and culture. Iran is a mosaic blending of political ideologies, cultural identities, as well as the overall religious doctrine that overshadows the country, creating an enormous battlefield for its music scene. From the Pahlavi dynasty’s efforts to modernize Iran, to the crazy strictness and theocratic rulings of the powerful bodies within the Islamic Republic, the vacillation of music's role between state-sponsored promotion to outright prohibition is mind-numbing. For this post, we will take a deeper look into Iran’s evolution of music censorship and trace the course of this beast from Mohammad Reza Shah’s reign to the Ayatollah’s Islamic Republic.

A Look into The Pahlavi Era: Modernization and Westernization

Culturally, Iran has long been steeped in traditional Persian music under the Shahs, but it wasn’t until Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign (1941-1979) that Iran underwent a rapid step forward in modernization and Westernization. The promotion of Western music from jazz and pop to classical music was encouraged by the state and elites. This opened up the Iranian culture to Western ideals, and institutions like the Tehran Conservatory of Music were established, thus European music instructors ventured into the country and taught music, alongside the teachings of traditional Persian music.

All of this looks good on the surface, but music wasn’t entirely a free thing back then. Looking back to the 1930s, when the Iranian government started regulating music, especially targeting recordings with a communist bent to them, things got more dicey, and restrictive, and by 1931 when the government started clamping down on gramophone records, which were politically subversive in their lyrics, this led to an all-out ban. In a move to control musical content, the hammer came down on the recording industry, and it was put under the watchful eye and supervision of the Ministry of Interior. Big Brother, if you will, Persian style.

Cultural Purge and The Islamic Revolution

When the Islamic Revolution hit Iran in 1979, it was like a 9.5 earthquake rocked the Persian world. The cultural landscape was decimated in its wake, and a new Islamic regime under Ayatollah Khomeini was in full effect! His regime viewed Iran’s pre-revolutionary culture, including music, as anathema. They saw the ‘Western influence’ as a morally corrupting cancer that needed to be burned, excised. They also viewed Western music as a wicked tool, an opioid upon the masses, that seduced and distracted the populace, softening their minds, inhibiting religious devotion and adherence to the state. Also, at this time, the hijab was imposed on the female population, and the “Paris of the Middle East” had finally, bitterly succumbed.

When the dust finally had settled, the aftermath of the revolution was dark and bleak; most forms of music had been outright banned. In other words, the lights went out, and the party was over. Concerts and venues were canceled or closed, and music schools were shut down. The oppression was so nasty that musicians fled the country. As the velvet glove came off the iron fist, the Ministry of Cultural and Islamic Guidance (Ershad) took precedence in establishing its authority, and strapping on its boots, it went into effect regulating all cultural productions, including music.

Now that’s just a glance at what went down, but moving forward, let's take a look at the post-revolutionary periods. There were many shifting boundaries.

1980s-1990s: Strict Control and the Underground Resistance Movement

Throughout the 1980s, the Ayatollah Khomeini regime maintained a hardline stance on the music scene. Most genres of Western music were outright banned. Rock ‘n roll, pop, soul, R&B, and hip-hop were viewed as seditious symbols of American imperialism. Only traditional and religious forms of music were permitted. Regardless of these draconian rules and laws, Iran had an underground music scene that thrived. Clandestinely, artists were recording and distributing their music through hypogean channels.

1997-2005: Cultural Opening and Reform

With the election of President Mohammad Khatami, a reformist, in 1997, the country was able to exhale, and the population went through a brief period of cultural thaw. Things began to relax, and the environment was easing, as restrictions became more tempered. This enabled a few pop musicians to perform publicly but under the strictest guidelines. Ah, and yes, the Ershad ministry continued in their scrutiny of vetting lyrics and performances, while many artists still faced full-bore censorship.

2005-2013: The Resurgence of Conservatism

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president, the regime once again took a hardline stance and intensified censorship. This time, the crackdowns were brutal on the underground music scene, with artists being arrested, jailed, or forced into exile. Given the introduction of new technologies, the internet became a powerful tool for musicians and a platform for them to continue sharing their works, while skirting the heavy hand of control of the state.

Contemporary Iran: Digital Resistance and Cultural Negotiation

In today's world, the Iranian music scene is in a complex state of negotiation. Like the former regimes, officially sanctioned music, like traditional or ‘classic’ Persian music, is allowed, but many other genres of music are still under the thumb of government restrictions. The broadcasting or public performances of Western music genres, rock ‘n roll, Hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music are still banned by the state.

But given that, a new generation of Iranian musicians has taken hold of the brass ring and been empowered by the digital age. Using platforms like Telegram, Instagram, and YouTube, Iranian musicians have been able to reach audiences both inside and outside Iran in opposition to the behest of the state. The failed attempts by the government to squelch, or control the internet, have come to no avail as the underground music scene steams forward in defiance of censorship laws and government state goon agencies.

The Last Word

Steeped in legalism, strict religious ideologies, and cultural identities, the Iranian music scene is a very tough and resilient one with a strong backbone, enough to put up a resistance to the state and all its machinations. It is a story where, at one time, a Shah embraced the idea of Westernization, and another where an Ayatollah ran cultural purges, but music's power, identity, the potent symbolism, and dissent to opposing forces illustrate the human will, to always press forward, no matter the oppressive entity or entities standing in the way. Iranian musicians are persistent and are always finding new ways to express themselves and connect with the rest of the world despite the oppressive restrictions the state continues to wield upon them. The will to live and to prosper is a powerful force in nature, and to make music is a universal antidote to life's highs and lows.

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