They Are Not Gonna Stop Us..

Lesson Learned: Young artists in Iran are still feeling the rathe of government. However, they are continuing to show that they are going to continue to thrive. Music is their life, and they are willing to risk it all. 

Description: 

     In this journal article written by Colin Meyn, members of the alternative rock band O-hum appeared at a rock concert in Tehran, Iran. They wore jeans and t-shirts, rocking out with their mop tops. The lead singer may his way around with his bright red guitar, as young girls screamed and boys climbed to the stage to body surf the crowd. Hundreds of Iranians packed the Russian Orthodox Church, a site that it not government controlled, to hear O-hums Persian Rock. Their rock involves a blend of Western and Iranian music that their lead singer and guitarist co-created. O-hums songs involve lyrics of Hafez, a 17th century Persian Poet, adding soft Middle Eastern string instruments, drum beats and electric guitar, making this music distinctly hard rock and roll. O-hum, which means “illusions”, was the forefront of the Iranian underground scene, building a voice that went against Iranian government censorship. A concert which was held in 2001 in Iran, is one of 0-hum’s first and last. Amir Hamz, who is of Iranian descent, has recently involved O-hum and seven other Iranian groups in his documentary, Sounds of Silence. This film, which was shot in 2004, has been screening at international festivals for the past year. In his film, he features artists who have turned to the internet to distribute the music that Ayatollah Khomeini banned in 1979, stating “It destroys our youth who become poisoned by it.” Despite his word, the government didn’t begin cracking down until 2001 as bands like O-hum found their success.  Since the revolution, artist have struggled to find their way. These restrains have caused artists and bands to break apart. “I agree that nobody could waste his time and energy with something so unsure and unstable,” lead singer Sharbaf stated. Nonetheless, Iran’s underground music scene has more followers than ever. Performers are performing on a new stage: the internet. In the upper middle class areas such as northern Tehran, the indy and electronic rock scenes have attracted young audience. They resorted to creating websites, blogs, as well as turning to sites like Youtube and Myspace. This is great for a country who is web savvy. Once the government tightened its grip on the internet, that’s when the country’s art became to bloom, gaining more international attention, allowing the artists and activists to thrive. Artists are preserving Iran’s culture by exploring the past to help the present and plan for the future. Namjoo, another artist stated, “The future is connected to the present. By writing, playing and composing songs, by recording and performing them in public, we make that future.” (Meyn 1)

Evaluation:

      This journal article tells the reader about the band O-hum, exhuming their story so that outsiders can easily see what is going on. The author takes the reader step by step as to what O-hum was then in their popular stage, and what they are now since the crack down on music by government. Other groups besides O-hum are still continuing to do what they love, keeping a positive attitude despite the negativity going on around them. Even though several groups are breaking apart due to frustration and unstableness, many artists are using this criticism to help them grow by branching out to  blogs, furthering their efforts involving the internet, and using other websites like Youtube and Myspace to attract a young audience. They are thriving for the future, one step at a time. 

Citation:
MLA: Colin Meyn. "Rocking Lolita in Tehran." In These Times 32.1 (2008): 41. Print.
APA: Colin Meyn. (2008). Rocking lolita in tehran. In these Times,32(1), 41.
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