In Iran, Even Pop Stars Must Play By the Rules Islamic country's top star rebelling against government strictures Iran has developed a potent new weapon against the West: Shadmehr Aghili, a striking singer, songwriter and musician who's generally considered the country's biggest pop star. Many countries complain about the invasion of Western culture, particularly rock music, but Iran did something about it. With a young population passionately drawn to Western rock, which is banned by the government as corrupt and immoral, Iran has created its own officially sanctioned rock-'n'- roll industry. Aghili, 29, is its greatest triumph -- a wholesome, smart and sexy musician with enough star power to pull some of Iran's young people away from Western music. The experiment -- like many of Iran's efforts over the past 22 years to keep the modern world at bay and create a state blending Islam and democracy -- has been only partially successful. In Tehran's thriving black markets, youngsters still clamor for pirated versions of the latest CDs by Eminem, Madonna, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. Female soloists are strictly forbidden in Iran, so underground recordings by Madonna, Whitney Houston and Britney Spears are particularly popular. Even Aghili, a creature of the system, is starting to rebel. He's never been allowed to give a concert because, he said he was told, it would be a "national security threat." His music was banned, and he was prohibited from composing and recording songs for 14 months, apparently because his popularity grew too fast for the Islamic government's liking. In the end, he suggested, he might leave Iran in search of greater fame and freedom in the West. "Music in Iran is considered a safety valve for the state that has to be given to the public with great precision and in exact amounts, and there should be great control," he said. "We don't have music in Iran. I'm doing all this to get to music." Iran's music industry is yet another battleground in the struggle between reformers, led by President Mohammad Khatami, and conservative Islamic clerics, who control many of Iran's most powerful institutions and who have vetoed most of the government's political and social liberalizations. The strains in the industry reflect the obstacles Khatami and his democratization drive face in charting a middle path between the extremes of old and new, East and West, freedom and authoritarianism, Islam and secularism. "Music is being looked at in a different, and I suppose you could argue innovative, way in response to the rapid changes in the world and the demands of the younger generation," said Hadi Semati, a political analyst in Tehran. "It's mostly about the cultural invasion of the West, which is considered decadent, and religious interpretations of what is permitted and forbidden." Albums by Shania Twain, Sarah Vaughan and Beverly Sills are outlawed because female singers can only join in background vocals or a chorus. Female soloists are occasionally allowed to perform in public in Iran, but only at concerts attended by women, not men. Only recently has the government permitted pop bands with both male and female members. Musical instruments are rarely shown on television. Concerts are frequently canceled because of fear police won't be able to stop audiences from whistling, clapping in time to the music or dancing, all of which are prohibited. Many musicians find the government's policies reprehensible, but refuse to say so publicly because the government controls their future. "People are fed up; it's just a dictatorship," said one of the country's most famous female singers. "The pop music industry was created in Iran to amuse the youth and push them back from social and political issues." In theory, each song should be considered on its merits, experts here say. In practice, the clergy's strong anti-Western feelings have created a general prohibition against Western pop music that's driven it underground. Recently, dozens of men caught trafficking in black-market CDs were publicly flogged. "Many elites have the idea that whatever is Western is corrupt and bad," said a political scientist who asked not to be identified. "On the other side is the belief that whatever is Western is good," particularly among youths. Iranian youths say the most successful homegrown artists were picked by the government to mimic the best of the Iranian exiles in Los Angeles. In fact, with the government playing record producer, many people here said Tehran pop is now technically superior to L.A. pop, even if the U.S.-based artists have more freedom. "In the past five years, they introduced singers to the public whose voices were similar to the illegal singers in L.A.," but their musical development was stunted by state control, said Peyman Fallahi-nasr, a 20-year-old electronics student. "They are behind red lines, and if they step beyond that, they could be stamped anti-revolutionary and sent to jail." Yet challenging the state seems to be one key to success among youths who in recent elections have signaled their desire for change by overwhelmingly supporting reformist politicians promising greater personal freedoms and civil liberties. "Negative propaganda in Iran is quite favorable for gaining fame," said pop star Aghili. Aghili, who plays the violin and guitar and has made three albums, has a fourth being reviewed by the Culture Ministry. He is to star in two films due for release this year, including one based on his career and conflicts with government regulators. Government control "makes me more and more motivated, it stimulates me to work," he said. "Under certain pressures, you can see a small poem and turn it into a great song." (Courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle, August 24, 2001)   (end) © Khorhseed.com - Sep 2001