Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🎨

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian

arts Maturity 7-9 death dying war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying, war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian was a legendary Iranian singer and a master of Persian traditional music. In the Persian tradition, a master is called an Ostad.

Mohamadreza-shajarian-young
Mohamadreza-shajarian-young

Shajarian was highly respected for his incredible vocal skills and his knowledge of Persian calligraphy. He was also a creator of musical instruments. His life was deeply connected to the culture and history of Iran. He became a symbol of national identity through his art. Many people viewed him as a vital connection to the country's musical past.

Shajarian's musical training began at a very young age. At age five, he started studying vocal techniques with his father, Mehdi. His father was a reciter of the Qur'an, a religious tradition in their family.

Shajarian later began studying the Radif, which is the classical repertoire of Persian music. He did this at age 12 without his father's permission. This was because his father's religious beliefs made studying music difficult. To protect his privacy, Shajarian used the stage name Siavash Bidakani during his early years. He eventually returned to using his real name as his career grew.

His technical development involved many different masters and styles. He studied under teachers such as Ahmad Ebadi, Esmaeil Mehrtash, and Nour-Ali Boroumand. He also learned from the interpretation of the Radif provided by Abdollah Davami.

To better understand the traditional repertoire, he learned to play the santour, a percussion instrument with strings. He took lessons from Faramarz Payvar and studied the vocal Radif of Abolhasan Saba. Shajarian was famous for his ability to perform the challenging Dastgah style. He even tried to mimic the playing style of the legendary tar soloist Jalil Shahnaz in his singing.

Shajarian's professional career spanned many decades and various roles. He began his singing career in 1959 at Radio Khorasan. By the 1960s, he had risen to prominence with a very distinct singing style.

ShajarianLondonConcert
ShajarianLondonConcert

He worked at national radio and television and taught at Tehran University's Department of Fine Arts. He collaborated with many famous musicians, including Parviz Meshkatian and Hossein Alizadeh. He also performed in ensembles with his children, Homayoun and Mojgan Shajarian. One notable group was the Ava Ensemble, which toured the world in 2008.

His musical reach extended into many different ethnic traditions of Iran. He performed songs from Mazandarani, Azeri, Kurdish, and Lur music.

Farhangfar -lotfi-shajarian 1970s -1355 Shiraz art Festival
Farhangfar -lotfi-shajarian 1970s -1355 Shiraz art Festival

His recordings often featured the poetry of famous Persian poets like Hafez, Saadi, and Baba Taher. Shajarian received significant international recognition for his talent. In 1999, UNESCO presented him with the Picasso Award in France. In 2006, he was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Medal. By 2017, the Los Angeles Times described him as the "Greatest living maestro of Persian classical music."

In the later years of his life, Shajarian became a figure of political significance. He expressed support for the Iranian Green Movement in 2009. He also criticized the Iranian government and its leaders.

Mohamdreza Shajarian
Mohamdreza Shajarian

Because of his public criticism, the state broadcaster, IRIB, banned his music. This meant his songs could no longer be played on national radio or television. His famous song "Rabbana," a prayer used during Ramadan, was also removed from the airwaves. This ban was deeply felt by the public, as his music had been a regular part of Iranian life for many years.

Despite these challenges, Shajarian remained a powerful voice for the people. He stated that his criticism was directed at specific individuals rather than the entire system. He believed that music itself was not deviant, even if some religious groups claimed it was.

خاکسپاری محمدرضا شجریان
خاکسپاری محمدرضا شجریان

He passed away on 8 October 2020. His legacy lives on through his many students and his vast collection of recordings. He is remembered as a man who called himself a "son of Iran."

624 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:Shajarian teen.jpg
Shajarian teen.jpg
File:Mohamadreza-shajarian-young.jpg
Mohamadreza-shajarian-young.jpg
File:Farhangfar -lotfi-shajarian 1970s -1355 Shiraz art Festival.jpg
Farhangfar -lotfi-shajarian 1970s -1355...
File:ShajarianLondonConcert.JPG
ShajarianLondonConcert.JPG
File:Mohamdreza Shajarian.jpg
Mohamdreza Shajarian.jpg
File:خاکسپاری محمدرضا شجریان.jpg
خاکسپاری محمدرضا شجریان.jpg
File:آرامگاه حکیم ابوالقاسم فردوسی5.jpg
آرامگاه حکیم ابوالقاسم فردوسی5.jpg
File:Still from the Documentary, The Voice of Dust and Ash.jpg
Still from the Documentary, The Voice of...
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.