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Farhad Mehrad (20 January 1944 – 31 August 2002), commonly known as Farhad, was an
Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...
pop,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, and
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...
singer,
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
, guitarist and
pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
, who released the first English
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
album in Iran. He rose to prominence among Iranian rock, folk and pop musicians before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, but after the revolution, he was banned from singing for several years in Iran. His first concert after the Islamic Revolution was held in 1993. To this day, he is considered one of the most influential and respected contemporary Iranian singers. He was also the first singer of the popular band Black Cats. Farhad is most well known for his song Jomeh (Friday) for the film '' Khodahafez Rafigh'' in 1971. Despite all the rumors about it being a political song written by
Shahyar Ghanbari Shahyar Ghanbari ( fa, شهیار قنبری also spelled wrongly as Shahryar Ghanbari , born 28 July 1950 in Tehran) is an Iranian poet, writer, lyricist, songwriter, and singer of Persian pop music. He is also a film director & radio-TV produc ...
who denied these Allegations on Tapesh TVs "Uncut" Show.


Early life

Farhad was born on 20 January 1944 in
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, Iran. His father was Reza Mehrad, an Iranian diplomat who worked in the
Arabic countries The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Being the youngest child, he always behaved differently from his family members and everyone assumed he was trying to act like an adult. When Farhad was three years of age, his love for music was noticed when he stayed outside his brother's room, listening to his
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
lessons. His family bought Farhad a
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...
and he started taking lessons. After three lessons, his cello broke and, as Farhad describes, "the instrument broke into pieces so did my soul". That was the end of the cello for Farhad and his love and passion for music ended up to be only listening to his brother playing the
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
. When he went to school he found a passion for
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
. He decided to study literature in high school but with the absence of his father, his uncle forced him to study science despite his weak results on all other subjects other than
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
language. His interest being ignored, he quit high school in grade 11 because he had no love for what he was studying.


Career


First band

After quitting
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
, he met an
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
music band, The Four Elfs. Using their instruments, he learned music by experience and after a while, he became the guitar player in the band. The band went to
southern Iran Southern Iran consists of the southern mountain ranges of Zagros and Central Iranian Range, Khuzestan Plain and the northern coasts of Persian Gulf and Straight of Hormuz. It includes the provinces of Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Buyer Ahmad, Hormo ...
to perform for the
Iranian Oil Company The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC; fa, شرکت ملّی نفت ایران, Sherkat-e Melli-ye Naft-e Īrān) is a government-owned national oil and natural gas producer and distributor under the direction of the Ministry of Petroleum of ...
Club – one of the biggest organizations in Iran, with many foreign employees. Before the start of the first night's performance, the band decided that Farhad would be the singer, because of the vocalist's absence. Farhad's attention and fuss for correct pronunciation of the words, and his knowledge of world literature, came as a good advantage; when he performed a few songs in
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
, French and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
, it was hard to believe his mother tongue was
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
. That led to the band's success and they performed for an extended number of nights. After a while, Farhad quit the band and started his solo career. In 1964, he performed a few English songs on an Iranian TV show, where he captured the attention of more people. Later, in an event sponsored by ''Etelat Javanan'', a popular youth magazine, he performed in Amjadieh Stadium. He played a few songs with the guitar which was followed by a huge crowd response. That was when Shahbal Shabpareh, the frontman of the Iranian popular band Black Cats heard about Farhad.


Black Cats

In 1967, sometime later after Shahbal and Farhad met, Farhad joined the ''Black Cats'' as a vocalist, guitar player and piano player. The Black Cats members were Shahbal Shabpareh (
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
),
Shahram Shabpareh Shahram Shabpareh ( fa, شهرام شب‌پره) is an Iranian Pop singer and songwriter. Career He started his career as a drum player in the early 1960s when he was 13. In the mid 1960s at the age of 17, he formed a band of his own named "R ...
(
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
),
Hassan Shamaizadeh Hassan Shamaizadeh ( fa, حسن شماعی‌زاده, also Romanized as Hasan-é Šamâ'izâde; born January 15, 1943 in Isfahan) is an Iranian pop singer, songwriter and saxophonist. Over the past three decades, he composed songs for artists ...
(
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
), Homayoun Khajehnouri (
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
), and Manouchehr Eslami (
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
). The band started playing in the Couchini Club. Manouchehr Eslami called Farhad the most important member of the band, saying: In the busiest and most successful time of the band, the first Persian song of Farhad, called ''Age Ye Jo Shaans Daashti'' ("
With a Little Bit of Luck "With a Little Bit of Luck" is a popular song by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, written for the 1956 Broadway play ''My Fair Lady''. It was sung by Stanley Holloway as Alfred P. Doolittle in both the original stage and film versions. I ...
"), was used in dubbing the movie ''Banooye Zibaye Man'' (''
My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...
'') into
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
. After a while, Farhad left the Black Cats to take care of his sick sister in England. Farhad met a famous producer and he was offered a record deal by him. Farhad became ill and due to his illness and personal problems, the deal never took place. The journey which was supposed to last for two months, took one year.


1969–1974

In 1969, Farhad sang "Marde Tanha" ("A Lonely Man") for the movie '' Reza Motori'' ('' Reza, the Biker''). The song was composed by Esfandyar Monfaredzadeh and the lyrics were written by
Shahyar Ghanbari Shahyar Ghanbari ( fa, شهیار قنبری also spelled wrongly as Shahryar Ghanbari , born 28 July 1950 in Tehran) is an Iranian poet, writer, lyricist, songwriter, and singer of Persian pop music. He is also a film director & radio-TV produc ...
. After the release of the movie, the song was released on
gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts ne ...
and Farhad became a well-known singer. Farhad only sang songs which had a message and he believed in their messages. That's why after "Marde Tanha" he only released three singles during the period from 1971 until 1973. Those were "Jomeh" ("Friday"), "Hafteye Khakestari" ("The Grey Week") and "Ayeneha" ("
Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...
"). Farhad dedicated the song "Shabaneh" to Sadegh Solhizadeh, M.D., the doctor who helped him overcoming his addiction.


During the revolution

Before the 1979
Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...
and during the political conflicts of the 1970s in Iran, Farhad recorded six songs with revolutionary messages that became the Iranian's voice of unity. The day after the Iranian revolution, 11 February 1979, his song "Vahdat" ("Unity") was broadcast on the Iranian television in honor of revolution and freedom.


After the revolution

After the revolution, the
Islamic government ''Islamic Government'' ( fa, حکومت اسلامی, ''Hokumat-i Eslami''), also known as ''The Jurist's Guardianship: Islamic Government'', ( fa, حکومت اسلامی ولایت فقیه, ''Velayat-e faqih: Hokumat-i Eslami '') Abrahamian, ...
turned its back on Farhad and refused to grant him permission to publish his album many times. Even the song "Vahdat", which was once considered a song in honor of the revolution, was refused permission to be released. The government's reason was not the song itself, but rather the fact was that the Islamic Government was concerned about his popularity and his influence on people. The government wished Farhad to be forgotten. Meanwhile, someone with strong connections within the Islamic government obtained official permission from the
Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance ( fa, وزارت فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی, ''Vâzart-e Ferheng-e vâ Arshad-e Eslâmi'') ("Ministry of CIG") is the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is responsible ...
, and released Farhad's singles which were recorded before the revolution, as an album without Farhad's permission. He called the album ''Vahdat'' (Unity). Many Iranians bought the album to keep the memory of Farhad and his remarkable songs alive.


Comeback

In 1993, after 15 years of silence, Farhad was granted permission to release his first album, '' Khab Dar Bidari'' ("Sleep while Awake"), and it went straight to the top of the charts just after its release. After this album, Farhad lost hope in the Iranian government's grant of permission system and he released his next album '' Barf'' ("Snow") in the United States in 1999. ''Barf'' was released in Iran a year later.


Last album

After ''Barf'', Farhad decided to record an album with songs from different countries and in different languages. He decided to call the album ''Amin'' (''Amen''); he started recording but died before he could finish the album.


Death

In September 2000, after two years of treatment in Iran and France, Farhad's illness became serious. On 31 August 2002, he died of a malignant form of hepatitis C in Paris. His funeral was attended by many Iranian stars like Dariush, Ebi and Persian entertainers. Iranian lyricist
Shahyar Ghanbari Shahyar Ghanbari ( fa, شهیار قنبری also spelled wrongly as Shahryar Ghanbari , born 28 July 1950 in Tehran) is an Iranian poet, writer, lyricist, songwriter, and singer of Persian pop music. He is also a film director & radio-TV produc ...
said that part of him died with Farhad. Farid Zoland said he was devastated by Farhad's death. Ebi said that he lost his best friend and favorite singer. Farhad is buried in the Cimetière de Thiais (Division:110 Ligne:7 N de la tombe:23), just outside Paris. After his death, a museum of his personal items was founded at cinema-museum in
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and also two documentaries, ''Farhad's Fridays'' and ''Snow'', have been made about him.


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Khab Dar Bidari'' (1993) * '' Barf'' (2000) * ''Amin''


Singles (in English)

Mehrad also sang many other English songs and in other languages, but only these songs were recorded. *
Take Five "Take Five" is a jazz standard composed by saxophonist Paul Desmond and originally recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for their album ''Time Out'' at Columbia Records' 30th Street Studios in New York City on July 1, 1959. Two years later it b ...
* Yesterday *
I Put a Spell on You "I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written and composed by Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins, whose own recording of it was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also included in Robert ...
* Come Down Jesus * Sad Lisa * Romance of Love * Sunrise/Sunset * When the Sun Comes Down * Unchain My Heart * Yesterday When I Was Young *
Don't Cry for Me Argentina "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a song recorded by Julie Covington for the 1976 concept album '' Evita'', later included in the 1978 musical of the same name. The song was written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice while they wer ...
* Let It Be * Master Song *
Alone Again (Naturally) "Alone Again (Naturally)" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. It was recorded in 1972 at the same time as his album '' Back to Front'' and was a worldwide hit. The single spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on ''B ...
*
You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor f ...
*
Unchained Melody "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film '' Unchained'' (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack.Robert Rodr ...
*
California Dreamin' "California Dreamin'" is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in 1 ...
* Like a Sad Song * Suzanne *
Windmills of Your Mind "The Windmills of Your Mind" is a song with music by French composer Michel Legrand and English lyrics written by Americans Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The French lyrics, under the title "", were written by Eddy Marnay. The song (with the English ...
* Everybody's Talking at Me * Together Again *
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for the American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been co ...
*
Sympathy Sympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form. According to David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspective to the perspective of an ...
* Love's Been Good to Me * Solitary Man * Moment to Moment *
Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" is a song by Leonard Cohen. It was first released in November 1967, in a version by Judy Collins on her album '' Wildflowers''.
* Handyman * You Won't Love Me *
If You Go Away "If You Go Away" is an adaptation of the 1959 Jacques Brel song "Ne me quitte pas" with English lyrics by Rod McKuen. Created as part of a larger project to translate Brel's work, "If You Go Away" is considered a pop standard and has been recor ...
* I Call You * I'll Be There *Hurt * Walking Alone *
Eleanor Rigby "Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with " Yellow Submarine". The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to L ...
* Japan Allspice (mixed in English and Persian) * Good Fantasist (mixed in English and Persian)


Other languages songs

* Qui? (French song) *Romanian song (A difficult song with whistle) *Temnaya noch (Russian song) *
An die Freude "Ode to Joy" (German: , literally "To heJoy") is an ode written in the summer of 1785 by German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller and published the following year in '' Thalia''. A slightly revised version appeared in 1808, ch ...
(German song) *Nadie me quiere (Spanish song) *Si je vivrai (French song) *No pal (Armenian song)


Filmography

;Music department ;* Keep the Flight in Mind (2012, Documentary) - singer as Farha ;* Mahiha Dar khak Mimirand (1977) singer as Farhad ;* Goodbye Friend (1971) singer as Farhad ;* Reza Motorcyclist (1970) singer as Farhad


See also

*
Iranian rock Iranian rock (also known as Rocka red) refers to rock music produced by Iranian artists. Rock music has been popular in Iran since the late forties, with the emergence of singers such as Kourosh Yaghmaei, Farhad Mehrad, Fereydoon Foroughi and ...
*
List of Iranian musicians This is a list of Iranian (Persian) musicians and musical groups. Classical Persian classical/traditional *Moein * Homayoun Shajarian * Mohammad-Reza Shajarian * Hossein Khajeh Amiri (Iraj) * Shahram Nazeri * Iraj Bastami * Anoushiravan ...


References


External links

* * *
Farhad's House Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farhad 1944 births 2002 deaths Iranian pop singers Iranian rock musicians 20th-century Iranian male singers Iranian singer-songwriters Iranian guitarists Iranian pianists Male pianists 20th-century pianists 20th-century guitarists Musicians from Tehran Deaths from hepatitis