Mohsen Namjoo
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Mohsen Namjoo ( fa, محسن نامجو) is an Iranian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. His style of music is influenced by blues and rock as well as Iranian folk music.


Early life and education

Namjoo was born on 4 March 1976 in
Torbat-e Jam Torbat-e Jawm ( fa, تربت جام, Torbat-e Jām; also known as Torbat-e Sheykh Jām and Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam) is a city and capital of Torbat-e Jam County, in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 100,449. Torb ...
, a small town of Razavi Khorasan in northeastern Iran. He was raised in the religious city of
Mashhad Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
. He started learning classical Persian music when he was 12. At a young age he started listening to Western music and became interested in musicians like
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredicta ...
,
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
, and Chris de Burgh. He was admitted to the
Tehran University of Art University of Art ( fa, دانشگاه هنر, ''Danushgah-e Henr-e Tehran'') is the largest art university in Iran, consisting of seven faculties and an international campus in Tehran and its suburb Karaj Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital o ...
in 1994.


Career

In late 1997 and early 1998, Namjoo had his first two concerts, themed "modern combination of Iranian poetry and music". In 2003 he started recording parts of his own works in Tehran. His debut album titled '' Toranj'' was officially released in Iran in September 2007, and got his first captivated Iranians' attention. This album mostly produced underground music and was very well received among the Iranian community. This album insulted the Islamic regime, which forced him into a life in exile in 2008. He also composed soundtracks for movies and plays. In 2010, Namjoo kicked off his "A Minor" tour with a new band ensemble centered around some of his most popular and courageous songs. In June they performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California (US). In October they performed at the Sony Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mohsen Namjoo also released a single entitled "Such Strange Times" in June, a song which was sung in English. In fall of 2011, Namjoo recorded his next album Alaki live during his concert in Stanford University. This album was part of his work in the Stanford Pan Asian Music Festival. Accompanying band consisted of Ali Bazyar (Percussion), Dina Zarif (back vocal), Tannaz Jaffari (back vocal), Serwah Tabbak (back vocal), Siamack Sanaie (Guitar), Mark Deutsch: (Bazantar, Guitar) In fall of 2012, Namjoo released his new album 13/8. Thirteen/eight is a compilation of six pieces, which were developed in the United States during the previous year. The performance had been prepared in collaboration with California-based musicians James Riotto (Contrabass), Robert Shelton (Keyboard), Ezra Lipp (Drums) and Greg Ellis (Percussion). Payam Entertainment produced a series of live performances for 2012. The inaugural performance in Berkeley, California will be recorded in preparation for a future double-album release by the same title. Since late 2013, Mohsen Namjoo has been at
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
Middle East Studies' 2014 Artist in Residence. During his residency, he is engaging in a number of activities. On December 7, 2013, to kick off his residency, he gave a performance at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. In spring 2014, he taught the course “Tradition and Protest: Persian and Iranian Music,” and gave several musical talks to public audiences on topics including “Shahram Shabpareh: Honesty and Minor Scale” and Iranian Rhythms. The spring 2014 semester was capped by a well-attended concert on the evening of May 10. In fall 2014, Namjoo taught “Revolution and Poets: Content and Form in Iranian Poetry.” Organized by Middle East Studies, Brown, he took part in a panel discussion on Protest Music/ Music Performance and Social Change on Thursday, November 13, as well as taking the lead on assembling a couple of Iranian bands, banned from playing in their own country, who came together for the first time in an Iranian Music Festival titled “Iran Underground” on November 15 at RISD Auditorium. The event was part of Brown's 250th Anniversary events. Namjoo made several film appearances. He was featured in the documentary ''Sounds of Silence'' (directed by Amir Hamz and Mark Lazarz) which has been screened at international film festivals. He also appeared in a feature narrative film called ''Few Kilograms of Dates for the Funeral'' (Director Saman Saloor), played in various film festivals. In 2016 he played in the feature film
Radio Dreams Radio Dreams is a 2016 American film by Iranian-born film director Babak Jalali. Inspired by a group of real life Iranian Metallica fans, calling themselves the ''Persian Magnetic'', and the realities of expatriate life of the Iranian diaspora i ...
by Babak Jalali. His newest song named "Begoo be baran" composed by Ehsan Matoori was released in March 2019 by Sheed Records company. His new album "Phantasm" composed and produced by Ehsan Matoori released on April 27, 2019, in San Francisco. In 2009, he received a prison sentence in Iran of five years for making music that "dishonours" content from the Qur'an. Since Namjoo lives abroad, the sentencing was in absence of the accused.


Discography


Albums

;Studio albums ;Live albums


Books


Audiobooks

* ''
The Alchemist An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to: Books and stories * ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho * ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Be ...
'' (by
Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho de Souza (, ; born 24 August 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His novel ''The Alchemist'' became an international best-seller and he has published 28 more books ...
), produced by Caravan (publishing), 2008


Books

* ''Dorrabe Makhdoosh'' (2017) * ''Chahar Maghale'' (2018)


Theatre

* '' Jana and Baladoor'' (2012 - ''A Play in Shadowzs'', directed by
Bahram Beyzai Bahrām Beyzāêi (also spelt Beizāi, Beyzāêi, fa, بهرام بیضائی; born 26 December 1938) is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and '' ostād'' ("master") of Persian letters, arts and Iranian studie ...
) * ''Arash'' (2013 - ''A Play Reading'', directed by
Bahram Beyzai Bahrām Beyzāêi (also spelt Beizāi, Beyzāêi, fa, بهرام بیضائی; born 26 December 1938) is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and '' ostād'' ("master") of Persian letters, arts and Iranian studie ...
)


Filmography


Performance


Philadelphia, U.S.

2014: Mohsen Namjoo performed with Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble as part of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture concert series.


Stockholm, Sweden

2020: Mohsen Namjoo Performed with Stockholm Symphony Orchestra.


See also

*
Persian traditional music Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the classical music of Iran (also known as ''Persia''). It consists of characteristics developed through the coun ...
*
Rock and alternative music in Iran 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 Forooghi, Fereyd ...


References


External links

* * * * *
The Innovator
Iranian Singer-Songwriter Mohsen Namjoo
Brown University Middle East Studies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Namjoo, Mohsen 1976 births Living people Iranian composers Iranian musicians Iranian rock singers Iranian male singers Iranian setar players Iranian blues singers Iranian rock musicians People from Torbat-e Jam Persian-language singers Kurdish-language singers Iranian classical singers Iranian singer-songwriters Iranian expatriates in the United States