Mahdyar Aghajani

Mahdyar Aghajani
Background information
Birth name	Mahdyar Aghajani
Born	January 22, 1989 (1989-01-22) (age 22)
Origin	Tehran, Iran
Genres	Experimental, Soundtrack, Fusion, Hip hop, Electronic
Occupations	Musician, Film composer, Record producer
Years active	2005-present
Website	www.mahdyar.com

Mahdyar Aghajani (Persian: مهدیار آقاجانی) is a musician, record producer and film composer born and raised in Tehran, Iran.^[1] He brought up the standard of Iranian underground music, using Persian traditional instruments (such as oud, santoor, daf, tombak, ney, kamancheh and qanoon) in electronic and hip hop music.^[2]

In 2006 Hichkas released the first Iranian hip hop album Jangale Asfalt (The Asphalt Jungle). Mahdyar Aghajani, musician and producer of this album, integrated hip hop and Iranian traditional music in a creative way.^[3] Mahdyar's production on Jangale Asfalt has nonetheless set a new benchmark in the evolution of rap-e-Fars, with tracks like ‘Vatan Parast’ (‘The Patriot’) serving as the perfect fusion of soaring Middle Eastern harmonies and pounding urban protest music.^[4]

After an interview with Nasim-E-Haraz magazine regarding the release of his first main stream album in 2006 with Hichkas, Mahdyar faced pressured from the Iranian government.^[5] This was the most influential collaboration between Hichkas and Mahdyar and music they produced together was listened throughout Europe and Iran, so much so the government noticed the artists as a threat to the culture of Iran and had his named listed as a threat; despite use of traditional Iranian instruments and strong nationalistic lyrics.^[6][7]

This pressure resulted in Mahdyar leaving his family behind at tender age of 20 and fled to Berlin then to Paris where he currently resides .^[8] Because he didn't leave the country by will, a place of his own was a luxury Mahdyar did not enjoy short while after his departure from Iran .^[9]

Although Iranian directors reportedly tend to hire older, long-established composers for their films, young Mahdyar Aghajani captivates Bahman Ghobadi with his fresh approach to music: "Mahdyar breaks everything and puts it back together in an experimental way. I tried to make music with the 'best composer' in Iran... But Mahdyar is so tajrobi. My music is like that--experimental."^[10]

Soundtracks

Feature films

• 2009: No One Knows about Persian Cats, Directed by Bahman Ghobadi

BBC "This is music from a brave and extraordinary musical movement"^[11]

• 2010: Cultures of resistance, Directed by Iara Lee
• 2011: Chroniques d'un Iran interdit, Directed by Manon Loizeau, Produced for Arte

Short films

• 2009: The Prince of Persia, Directed by Daniel Jewel, Produced for Current TV
• 2010: Ask the Wind, Directed by Batin Ghobadi

Musicals

• 2010: Le Plongeon, Directed by Humberto Velez, Produced for Centre Pompidou

Solo

Singles

• 2011: Weasels and Warcries (iTunes)

Compilation albums

• 2009: No One Knows About Persian Cats (iTunes)
• 2011: The Tour of Duty EP (iTunes)

Production credits

2005

• Hichkas

"Komak (feat. Yas)"

• Taham

"Ghamnaameh (feat. Kaveh Ramezanzadeh)"

• Felakat

"Ye Bare Dige (feat. Salome)"

• 7Khat

"Masti-o-Rasti"

2006

• Hichkas - The Asphalt Jungle (iTunes)

01. "Moghaddame"

02. "Dide o Del (feat. Reveal, Amin Fooladi and Bidad)"

03. "Ekhtelaf"

04. "Man Vaystadam"

06. "Ghanoon"

07. "Vatan Parast (feat. Reveal and Amin Fooladi)"

08. "Oun Manam"

09. "Bar Paa"

10. "Zendan (featuring Reveal)"

11. "Dide o Del (Remix) (feat. Reveal, Amin Fooladi and Bidad)"

• Reveal

"Prince of Persia"

• Quf

"Migan Quf (feat. Hichkas)"

• Hichkas

"Har Tor Shode Migam (feat. Enzo)"

"Manam Hamintor"

• Saaye

"Donya Tanhayam (feat. Bidad)"

2007

• Hichkas

"Pa Bar Ja (feat. Bidad)"

"Refaghat Tatile"

"Bazam Kalan (feat. Pishro)"

• Quf

"Khiaboonia"

"Saghi (feat. Bidad)"

• Namayande

"Hezari (feat. Quf and Eshragh)"

"Sar Bala (feat. Pishro)"

• Reveal

"Kill 'em with a Pen (feat. 7Khat)"

• Pishro - Jahaname Saket

05. "Boro Jolo (feat. Hichkas)"

• 7Khat

"Maaye Bede (faet. Hichkas and Makhmase)" (co-produced by 7Khat)

• Farinaz

"Be Naame Zan"

2008

• Hichkas

"Ye Mosht Sarbaz"

• Quf

"Ahan Parast (feat. Pelas and Eshragh)"

2009

• Bahman Ghobadi - No One Knows About Persian Cats

12. "Jouwani"

• Hichkas

"Vagheytar az Mostanad"

• Arsham

"Bardar Ghalbamo (feat. Fred)"

2010

• Hichkas

"Ye Rooze Khoob Miad"

Only few month after the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests this title was released. The title was heavily hinting towards the unrest within the country; both the lyrics and a section where 'live' recordings of the protesters was reassuring such assumptions. So much so that it was amongst few songs mentioned on Mir-Hossein Mousavi's (the opposition leader) official website.

This song has become an instant hit, often blasting from cars on Tehran's busy streets in capital city Tehran.^[12] It was the first song that instead of inviting people for further resistance, reassured its listeners that the result of the political unrest and street protests will come to a good end, even if it takes long time.

• Quf

"Basse Moftbari (feat. Bidad)"

• Fadaei

"Iran Iran"

2011

• Hichkas - The Tour of Duty EP

01. "Anjām Vazife"

03. "Mā Az Ounāshim"

• Quf - The Tour of Duty EP

05. "Shak (feat. Fadaei)"

• Fadaei - The Tour of Duty EP

04. "Vāstā Lāshi"

• Reveal - The Tour of Duty EP

02. "021LDN"

• Quf - Zir o Bam e Zirzamin (iTunes)

01. "Sobhe Masnavi"

02. "Balatar 1"

03. "Tariki"

04. "Hadaf (feat. Bidad)"

05. "I.R.A.N. (feat. 7Khat)"

06. "Hesse Gharib"

07. "Khavar Miane (feat. Lowkey)"

08. "Fazaye Sard"

09. "Marjan (feat. Reveal)"

10. "Miane Ghamhayam (feat. Fadaei)

11. "Balatar 2"

12. "Shabe Khazan"

• Fadaei

"Saze Ma"

"Ye Eshghe Noghrei"

See also

• Hichkas

References

1. ^ Rigoulet, Laurent (2009-12-27). "Article: Teheran underground, la BO". Télérama. http://www.telerama.fr/cinema/teheran-underground,50641.php. 
2. ^ Fabre, Clarisse (2009-12-22). "Article: De Téhéran à Mashhad, le parcours du combattant de milliers de musiciens". Le Monde. http://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article/2009/12/22/de-teheran-a-mashhad-le-parcours-du-combattant-de-milliers-de-musiciens_1284015_3476.html. 
3. ^ "Article: Rap in Iran". http://www.nisimazine.eu/Rap-in-Iran.html. 
4. ^ "Article: The Prophets of the Protest". http://www.suso.co.uk/features/hichkas-the-prophets-of-protest. 
5. ^ Manzoni, Rebecca (2009-12-19). "Interview: Mahdyar Aghjani". Radio France. http://sites.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/em/eclectik/index.php?id=86693. 
6. ^ BBC News. 2006-05-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4973690.stm. 
7. ^ Corbin, Jane (2009-06-08). "Article: Iran: Rap, blogs and the political mix". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8088042.stm. 
8. ^ "Interview: Mahdyar fled Iran". http://www.iranian.com/main/2009/oct/seeking-refuge. 
9. ^ Schwaab, Catherine (2009-12-31). "Interview: Bahman Ghobadi discussed about artists having to leave Iran". Paris Match. http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Monde/Actu/La-colere-d-un-exile-iranien-156144/. 
10. ^ "Interview: Bahman Ghobadi Eludes Censors". http://www.iranian.com/main/blog/jigsawnovich/interview-bahman-ghobadi-eludes-censors. 
11. ^ "No-One Knows About Persian Cats – OST Review". http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/jxnv. 
12. ^ Erdbrink, Thomas (2010-05-29). "Article: Iranian artists, musicians give voice to opposition amid censorship". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052702253_pf.html. 

External links

• Official site
• Facebook page
• Mahdyar Aghajani on IMDb
• A case study of Mahdyar Aghajani on 'Big Studio Secrets for Home Recording and Production'

Persondata
Name	Aghajani, Mahdyar
Alternative names	آقاجانی، مهدیار (Farsi)
Short description	Musician
Date of birth	22 January 1989
Place of birth	Tehran, Iran
Date of death
Place of death