MZM Records
V.A. : Khatereh Saazaan - Vol. 1/2 -DVD- (IR,1975-1979,pub.2007)***°'
This is a compilation of television broadcasts, mostly from the same tv-show on Iran national Television taken from saved VHS recordings, recorded between 1975 and 1979, musically the most interesting period from Iran. Both dvd’s show luckily a rather good quality image and sound. Many of the important artists are listed (Gogoosh, ..). For over 80 minutes each it might not be all material that will appeal from start to finish to discover in one look, while all is acceptable and enjoyable, because the general well arranged pop style from those days was rather attractive and refined in a way. Unfortunately, especially volume 2 makes it harder to skip to later tracks or choose individual tracks to watch. It mostly refuses and goes back to the beginning, to my frustration. But I chose from each DVD 9 or 8 tracks which I will try to give exposure to in a movie hall later next year, together with some other examples from those days. I think the tracks I chose on DVD 1 belong to Kourosh Yaghmaie, Giti, Soli, Ramesh, Viguen, Mahasti and a few others but I am not sure at all about the names, because they’re not listed in English. From DVD 2 I think it will be Marjan, Neli, Gogoosh, Groheh Mehmaan, Koroush Yaghmaie, Marjan, Shoreh, and again Gogoosh (with one of her grooviest and most rocking tracks). The pop music style is very different from here, with a large calm, almost meditative and preparing long instrumental part, where you see the musician preparing him/herself in contemplation mostly, or kind of mysteriously dancing, before the songs start, with much beautiful part soft-progressive-rocking, part Persian, part orchestrated that accompanies the song. A few tracks have a slight disco, but especially a funk influence (one track is really funk ! fun to see, because the singers have a big ball of curly hair on their heads). One other exception is a brilliant acoustic guitar track, with singing. The 70s styled beautiful costumes and for the woman, make up is beautiful to see, and is such a contrast to know that how in Iran nowadays women are punished if not dressed in black nun clothes and are more accompanied by paranoia, than the joy of speech and expression, and for life. The saddest thing about that is that young women, born in the 70s, who obviously also don’t remember this 70s period of experience, and will never be confronted with it in the open, will think that the black scarf and all repression always has been like this, and is considered to be like some religious sacrifice, as if there never was a different choice with even more respect for life and all its contrasts.
Remember also how most people, and musicians who had some government support before the revolution, were taken away all their rights. Most of them in the beginning still had the opportunity to leave the country.
