The Band Queen Saves Iranians. Small Steps in the Right Direction

Lesson Learned: Iran’s disapproval of such a wide range of music has brought them back to where they were in beginning. Officials cannot take away the one freedom Iranians want, their music. 

Description:

     This newspaper article by the Herald News Service, unfolds that Queen, a classical rock band, is first to receive a stamp of approval from Iran. However, the only problem is that Freddy Mercury, a gay band member, hits a tough spot for a country who strongly believes being gay is a crime. Despite Mercury’s decision for being gay, he was also very proud of his Iranian ancestry, making Queen one of the most popular bands in Iran, having their albums and singles bootlegged by many living in the country eager to ban music. Songs on the album include The Miracle and I Want to Break Free, a numerous amount of queens love songs, and the country’s favorite Bohemian Rhapsody. An album only costing a dollar including such great songs and translated lyrics, what could be better? Iranians mostly enjoy the story being Bohemian Rhapsody, telling the story of a boy accidentally killing someone and deciding to sell his soul to the devil, calling God in Arabic “Bismillah,” regaining his soul from Satan. A bookstore salesman exhumes that “It is the first rock album to hit the market legally, and people are surprised and pleased to see that it also has lyrics, not just the music”. Queen is not the only band whose work has been released on the Iranian market, other artists include Elton John, Julio Iglesias, The Gipsy Kings and many others. How can a country resist with such high demands of music, where 70 percent of the population is under 30? (Calgary Herald 1)

Evaluation: 

     This article does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to clearly see that Iran is taking the minor steps needed to help make a decision regarding music, hopefully one day allowing their citizens to experience music on another level. Queen is brought into the picture, a well known band that everyone has heard of, touching the lives of Iranians through their lyrics, being the first band to have their album released legally in a country so harsh with their music policies. It shows a huge step for Iran, allowing their people to have music at their fingertips and not illegally downloaded in the privacy of their own homes, hoping to not get caught and penalized for wanting to have the freedom to listen to whatever they desire. I like how the article gets right to the point with sources that are easily understood. I even learned a new piece of information about  Mercury in regards to his Iranian ancestry. It’s a nice change to see Iran moving in the right direction. You know what they say, time is of the essence. 

Citation:
MLA: "Iran Endorses Rock Band: Final Edition." Calgary Herald: E.2. Print. 2004.
APA: Iran endorses rock band: Final edition. (2004, Calgary Herald,pp. E.2.