Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Almost every month I find out about the existence of an Iranian musician or band in or outside of Iran. Since beginning of last year I have been aware of an new Iranian music scene which I would like to call the Iranian New Wave MUSIC (INWM). Most of these Iranian musicians who represent INWM either live and perform in Europe, in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, Holland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and in the US, or in Iran hiding in their homes. Performing their music at private parties or at European embassies in Tehran. All of them have one thing in common: searching for their own voices or identities. Like their foreign counterparts they want to contribute to the “pluralistic-modern world of music” and be a part of it without forgetting their Iranian roots.

Testing the Limits of Collaboration – painting by Nicky Nodjoumi

Most of these musicians are into jazz, blues, reggae, electronica, indie-rock, heavy metal, Flamenco, Indian classical music, Latin music, Iranian folk music, Western contemporary and classical music. They either like to experiment with their traditional instruments, such as tar, santour, dombak, ney and daf, hooking them up to a lap-top in order to create sounds which are beyond of the original sound of that specific instrument. Or they play foreign instruments from the beginning.

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