Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
Mahan Mirarab, a young Iranian guitarist (born in Tehran in 1983), is one of the young voices of Iranian jazz. In present Iran jazz is alive! The regime can’t stop young Iranians to play a style of music which is mainly about freedom…freedom of speech and expression.
Mahan is a self taught musician, studied jazz on his own by listening, transcribing, and analyzing the music of jazz legends, such as Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Clifford brown, John Coltrane and many more.
Here are two videos of a concert he had with local musicians in Tehran a month ago.
I hope that jazz music becomes more popular among the Iranian youth. With the help of jazz there’s maybe a chance for Iranians to find their own inner voices and be a platform to unite. Jazz has nothing to do with American capitalism and imperialism! Jazz is universal and the music of the underdogs!