Mehdi Rajabian: The Iranian Musician Facing Prison For New Album

Iranian composer and musician Mehdi Rajabian is currently evading prison by creating a new album – the artist has previously served two years due to the Iranian government not approving of his music. In Iran, creating music is an incredibly complicated and multifaceted process for many reasons, not least because of strong censorship and lack of opportunities for female musicians.

Coup Of The Gods – The new album

Mehdi Rajabian has created his latest album as quietly as possible, whereby he has removed evidence of the music from his home after the fact – Mehdi created the new album in his basement in Iran, and fears the repercussions of his expression will be worse than those he has faced before. He spent time blindfolded in solitary confinement when previously imprisoned, and also undertook a hunger strike which had long-lasting consequences on his health.

Coup Of The Gods has been a collaborative effort with a range of musicians, for a number of reasons – following Mehdi’s hunger strike he was left unable to play instruments himself, and so musicians have virtually collaborated by recording parts and sending them over to create the album. Mehdi has also teamed up with a Brazilian orchestra for the new album, and most notably with female vocalists Lizzy O’Very and Aubrey Johnson.

In Iran, female vocalists are often silenced or featured very rarely and sparingly in the background amidst male musicians, and are never given the opportunity to perform independently. It’s a complex censorship area, and one that Mehdi Rajabian has been involved with politically – in 2020 he was arrested and taken to court after speaking with the BBC about his music, which they explain roughly as:

“Under Iran’s penal code, singers and dancers can be prosecuted if authorities deem their acts “indecent” or “immoral”. Women are theoretically allowed to perform in a choir or as a solo vocalist for a female-only audience, but permission is rarely granted.”

Rajabian was told by a judge that he was “encouraging prostitution” for wanting to work with female musicians. He worries that the charge will be brought against him once again, sending him back to prison for the third time in ten years. Speaking to the BBC about the new album and the current situation the musician said:

“They may re-accuse me. It really can not be predicted. But I will not step back. I will not step back and I will not censor myself. It is very ridiculous that in this day and age we are talking about banning music.”

After facing the government’s wrath for criticising the “absurdity of the Iran-Iraq war” led to the brutal solitary conditions Mehdi faced, he used this haunting experience as the inspiration for the first track on Coup Of The Gods, titled Whip On a Lifeless Body. Speaking about the music on the opening song, he explained to the BBC:

“The narrator is a human body that no longer has a physical presence. On the 29th day of the hunger strike, I opened my eyes and I did not know whether I was alive or dead, on Earth or in heaven. I was in a trance. It was a strange feeling… and that is what I wanted to capture in the feeling of this piece.”

Other collaborations on Coup Of The Gods

The new album has already gained notoriety and support thanks to many taking note of its compelling story – the record has been mixed and mastered by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and has been submitted for a Grammy nomination consideration. There is also a video teaser directed by the Russian filmmaker Roma Goncharenko.

Speaking to Billboard about the collaboration, Mason explained that Mehdi first made contact with him via email:

“He told me his story, which blew me away, and then he asked if he could send me some music. I was interested by the story, but when I heard the music I was really interested and excited. It is beautiful and unique and really resonated with me. We could communicate about the art and tempo because it’s kind of a common language. I would hear a word he was saying in his language, and I could get the context, and he could understand some of the music terminology that I was talking about, but the translator was obviously very important.”

While the process has been difficult and arduous for Mehdi, there is hope that as the world understands how hard it is to legally make music in Iran, the new album may bring about a change to creativity and gender discrimination in the Middle East. Mehdi Rajabian certainly copes so:

“The fact that people will listen to my album and follow me helps me to say that I am alive, my voice is not muffled. I can tell the world that no dictatorial power can stop the freedom of music. I went through all the prohibitions and the barbed wire of prison and today I brought [new] music to the audience. Even if I end up back behind bars myself.”

Also by Michelle Sciarrotta: