Iranian Funk in the 70s
September 18, 2009 5:00 AM Subscribe
"Not to get all 'We Are the World,' but Kalakat shows how little difference there is between Iranians and people of any other country."
70s Funk and Soul in Iran
Incidentally, it's the subject matter I applaud, the post is a single link to an NPR article. Not so much the stuff of MeFi legend.
That said, I cannot forward this to my father fast enough. My childhood memories are 99% staring out the window on loooooong cross-country car trips with Iranian pop music of the 60's and 70's on the 8-track filling the long stretches between stations playing NPR news and Paul Harvey.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:22 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
That said, I cannot forward this to my father fast enough. My childhood memories are 99% staring out the window on loooooong cross-country car trips with Iranian pop music of the 60's and 70's on the 8-track filling the long stretches between stations playing NPR news and Paul Harvey.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:22 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Great music. Isn't it slightly incongruous that the first song on the playlist should be Hava Nagila? Thanks though.
posted by tellurian at 5:24 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by tellurian at 5:24 AM on September 18, 2009
Isn't it slightly incongruous that the first song on the playlist should be Hava Nagila?
There used to be a lot of Iranian jews. I suppose the Arab version would be Halva Nargila.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:39 AM on September 18, 2009
There used to be a lot of Iranian jews. I suppose the Arab version would be Halva Nargila.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:39 AM on September 18, 2009
1382: the Persian New Wave is an awesome compilation of the contemporary Iranian underground. WFMU rightly call one track (real audio) by Oolanbator "a jawdropper, sampling off-time Arthur Brown screaming 'I am the God of Hellfire!!!' in the middle of some uber-weirdass primitive synth workouts..."
posted by takeyourmedicine at 5:58 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by takeyourmedicine at 5:58 AM on September 18, 2009
The two links at the bottom of the article go into a lot more depth about pop rock and jazz in Iran.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 6:03 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 6:03 AM on September 18, 2009
Many thanks for the heads-up on this NPR feature, SH.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:06 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:06 AM on September 18, 2009
Nice. Somewhere in his last few essays, Kurt Vonnegut talked about how black American music was the US's richest social currency around the world, something so beautiful and infectious the it could help us break down any divide. The cliche has some truth to it: The power of mutherfuckin rock and roll, kids.
posted by es_de_bah at 6:10 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by es_de_bah at 6:10 AM on September 18, 2009
Cheers for the great post, SH. It's lovely stuff. And so sad to see the diversity and beauty of an ancient, wonderful nation that has been crushed and retarded by 30 years of Dark Ages inspired theocratic fascism.
posted by The Salaryman at 6:13 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by The Salaryman at 6:13 AM on September 18, 2009
This is a good link and Iranian music is a pretty great unknown area to explore. I also recommend Raks Raks Raks if you can find it. Great stuff.
I have to say however I like my posts with a bit more meat on the bone. I can get single links anywhere on the web.. I come to mefi because people put in the effort to provide more than a single sentence with a link attached.
posted by zennoshinjou at 6:15 AM on September 18, 2009
I have to say however I like my posts with a bit more meat on the bone. I can get single links anywhere on the web.. I come to mefi because people put in the effort to provide more than a single sentence with a link attached.
posted by zennoshinjou at 6:15 AM on September 18, 2009
Holy shit, these kick ASS.
posted by jquinby at 6:22 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by jquinby at 6:22 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Reminds me of Mad Decent associates digging in India and the work of Sublime Frequencies, who have around 50 releases to date, mostly CDs, but also DVDs and LPs. The label specializes in capturing local sounds and sights, from radio stations and live performances. Not all artists are known, with truly unknown artists (not just people you haven't heard of) filling up some compilations. Other albums are straight recordings of street festivals, with little hope of ever identifying the people behind the music (but that's not always the point).
posted by filthy light thief at 6:37 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by filthy light thief at 6:37 AM on September 18, 2009
And so sad to see the diversity and beauty of an ancient, wonderful nation that has been crushed and retarded by 30 years of Dark Ages inspired theocratic fascism.
Cheer up, guys, you have Obama now.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:42 AM on September 18, 2009 [8 favorites]
Cheer up, guys, you have Obama now.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:42 AM on September 18, 2009 [8 favorites]
this post is a huge tease i want these jams asap
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:11 AM on September 18, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:11 AM on September 18, 2009 [3 favorites]
Funk Archaeology
Don't give Lucas any ideas.
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 7:56 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Don't give Lucas any ideas.
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 7:56 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
Oh, this is why I love metafilter!!! Great post, thank you!!
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:56 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:56 AM on September 18, 2009
The Salaryman: "And so sad to see the diversity and beauty of an ancient, wonderful nation that has been crushed and retarded by 30 years of Dark Ages inspired theocratic fascism."
As opposed to the modern American-installed fascism that was in place when this music was made.
A U.S. Army colonel working for the CIA was sent to Persia in September 1953... and immediately began to assemble the nucleus of a new intelligence organization. ... A turning point in SAVAK's reputation for ruthless brutality was reportedly an attack... by a small band of armed Marxists in February 1971. ... SAVAK interrogators were sent abroad for "scientific training to prevent unwanted deaths from 'brute force.' Brute force was supplemented with the bastinado; sleep deprivation; extensive solitary confinement; glaring searchlights; standing in one place for hours on end; nail extractions; snakes (favored for use with women); electrical shocks with cattle prods, often into the rectum; cigarette burns; sitting on hot grills; acid dripped into nostrils; near-drownings; mock executions; and an electric chair with a large metal mask to muffle screams while amplifying them for the victim. This latter contraption was dubbed the Apollo—an allusion to the American space capsules.
Sorry for the derail. But I like my Iran-bashing with a bit more nuance.
posted by Joe Beese at 8:23 AM on September 18, 2009
As opposed to the modern American-installed fascism that was in place when this music was made.
A U.S. Army colonel working for the CIA was sent to Persia in September 1953... and immediately began to assemble the nucleus of a new intelligence organization. ... A turning point in SAVAK's reputation for ruthless brutality was reportedly an attack... by a small band of armed Marxists in February 1971. ... SAVAK interrogators were sent abroad for "scientific training to prevent unwanted deaths from 'brute force.' Brute force was supplemented with the bastinado; sleep deprivation; extensive solitary confinement; glaring searchlights; standing in one place for hours on end; nail extractions; snakes (favored for use with women); electrical shocks with cattle prods, often into the rectum; cigarette burns; sitting on hot grills; acid dripped into nostrils; near-drownings; mock executions; and an electric chair with a large metal mask to muffle screams while amplifying them for the victim. This latter contraption was dubbed the Apollo—an allusion to the American space capsules.
Sorry for the derail. But I like my Iran-bashing with a bit more nuance.
posted by Joe Beese at 8:23 AM on September 18, 2009
ms scruss teaches victims of torture. One of them was a late-middle aged gentleman from Tehran. Turns out he was a lounge singer in the luxury hotels, something he'd had to keep quiet about all the time he was in Iran, post revolution. He can still belt out perfect phonetic renditions of "Can't Take My Eyes off of You" and other smooth hits - but never knew what the words actually meant at the time.
posted by scruss at 10:36 AM on September 18, 2009
posted by scruss at 10:36 AM on September 18, 2009
The Mehr Pooya track continues to rock me consistently.
posted by jquinby at 2:16 PM on September 19, 2009
posted by jquinby at 2:16 PM on September 19, 2009
Sorry for the derail. But I like my Iran-bashing with a bit more nuance.
You want nuance? Before the Shah they used to place criminals in sealed brick cells lining the roads in the desert that did not have enough room for them to stand or lie down. There was a small hole where the criminal's family could drop in food and water as their relative slowly and painfully died over the course of days or weeks. Their corpses were left to rot and you can still see skeletons in some of the cells to this day.
posted by Pollomacho at 6:49 AM on September 23, 2009
You want nuance? Before the Shah they used to place criminals in sealed brick cells lining the roads in the desert that did not have enough room for them to stand or lie down. There was a small hole where the criminal's family could drop in food and water as their relative slowly and painfully died over the course of days or weeks. Their corpses were left to rot and you can still see skeletons in some of the cells to this day.
posted by Pollomacho at 6:49 AM on September 23, 2009
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posted by Pollomacho at 5:12 AM on September 18, 2009 [1 favorite]