Free Concert by Famous Iranian Singer at Tehran’s Azadi Square

WANA (Sep 03) – Amid severe tensions between Iran and the West and the Israeli regime, Tehran’s cultural authorities have decided to grant a permit for holding a major concert beside one of the national symbols.

On Friday, September, Tehran’s Azadi Square will host one of the rarest musical events in the country: Homayoun Shajarian, the prominent traditional singer and son of Master Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (known as the father of traditional Iranian music), will perform a free concert at 10 p.m. together with the 30-member orchestra named “Siavash.”

This concert will be held outdoors, in the heart of the capital. The choice of “Azadi Square” as one of Tehran’s most important urban landmarks gives a special meaning to this event and turns it into a unique cultural gathering.

By the way, according to the latest announcement by the Mayor of Tehran, due to the high estimated likelihood of a large crowd attending, the venue for Homayoun Shajarian’s free concert, there is a possibility that the venue may change from Azadi Square to Azadi Stadium.

Homayoun Shajarian. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Although a few days remain until the concert, on social media and in the press, various individuals with differing political and cultural leanings have entered into debates, either supporting or condemning this initiative.

Some call it a “governmental concert” and believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran, by holding this cultural event, seeks to soften the atmosphere and reduce public anger over existing shortcomings, such as power and water outages and poor economic conditions. Others consider the holding of such cultural programs essential for a joyful society.

Opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran these days are making every effort to prevent and disrupt the holding of this concert, believing that if they do not succeed in boycotting the concert in the first stage, they must move toward politically exploiting it by chanting subversive slogans in opposition to the ruling system.

A few months after the incident of Mahsa Amini (a girl who was arrested by the morality police and died at a police station due to cardiac arrest) and the street unrest that occurred in 2022, Iran’s national football team had to travel to Qatar to participate in the World Cup.

At that time, too, many opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with all their might, sought to boycott Iran’s national football team and to discourage the people from celebrating any event. However, they were met with a cold reception from the Iranians. The opposition became disappointed and instead accused Iranians of not valuing the political directives of the leaders opposing the ruling system.

Homayoun Shajarian. Social media/ WANA News Agency

A woman named “Sima Kabir” wrote on her social media page: “Boycotting won’t work because many people dream of attending Shajarian’s concert and will come from other cities.”

On the other side, a person named “Omid Eshghi” wrote on X: “They cannot stand to see the people’s happiness. A noisy and useless minority for the country… they want to keep the country always in a state of stress, worry, and war. If the people of my country support and go to the concert, then I too stand behind them and say: Go enjoy yourselves.”

Supporters of President Pezeshkian also consider the holding of this concert a victory for him, since he has managed to push back the hardline current—which is usually opposed to the holding of music concerts—and issue the permit for this program.

Homayoun Shajarian, explaining this event, said that for years he had dreamed of holding such a concert, and that some time ago he was informed that his request had been approved, and now it is going to come true.

Mohammadreza and Homayoun Shajarian. Social media/ WANA News Agency

“I believe that music is a moment for peace and the bonding of hearts, not a tool for normalization or for denying suffering. So please, let us not tie this event to analyses and judgments. This performance is not an attempt to cover up problems, but an effort to give a brief moment of joy to a people who deserve happiness,” Homayoun Shajarian said.

He also added, “Although we do not have a precise idea of the number of the crowd, there is no restriction on anyone’s attendance. The necessary arrangements have been made, and we hope it will be a good night for the people. This is an unwritten script, and we are only just beginning to discover its mechanisms.”

Shajarian stressed that this performance is at the order of no institution or body, and is being held completely independently.

The Legacy of a Musical Family

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian was the master of Iranian singing. His voice became intertwined with the historical and social moments of the Iranian people, and his status goes beyond that of a mere singer.

Homayoun Shajarian also grew up and was trained alongside his father from childhood. He was first recognized as a player of the Tonbak and Kamancheh (Iranian Musical Instruments), and later rose to fame in the field of singing.

The warm and powerful voice of Homayoun has, over the past two decades, given him a special place among enthusiasts of traditional and fusion music.

Homayoun Shajarian and Sahar Dolatshahi. Social media/ WANA News Agency

The Personal Life of Homayoun Shajarian

Homayoun Shajarian was born on May 21, 1975, in Tehran, the son of Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and Mrs. Farkhondeh Golafshan, and the brother of Mojgan Shajarian. He is considered a singer of Iranian music and a player of the Tonbak and Kamancheh.

In 1995, he married Gita Khansari (his former wife), and from this marriage, he has a daughter named Yasmin. Years later, there was much speculation about his marriage to Sahar Dolatshahi, a cinema and theater actress, which Homayoun eventually confirmed in Adel Ferdosipour’s 360 Degrees program.

The Beginning of Singing and Professional Activity

Homayoun Shajarian, starting in 1991, performed as a Tonbak player alongside his father and the “Ava” group in concerts in the United States, Europe, and Iran. From 1999 onward, he began singing alongside Mohammad-Reza Shajarian.

Homayoun Shajarian. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Over the years, he collaborated with prominent figures of Iranian music and released numerous works both inside and outside the country. Among them are the albums “Bi To Besar Nemishavad” and “Faryad”, both of which were nominated for the prestigious Grammy Award in 2003 and 2005.

Street Concerts Will Continue

Iranian authorities have announced that following Homayoun Shajarian’s performance, the wave of street concerts in Tehran will continue. Famous singers such as Reza Yazdani, Reza Sadeghi, the National Orchestra of Iranian Music, and others are scheduled to perform similar programs.