1/05/2008

Perplexity (Heirani)

Exhibit A, my dinner tonight.
My sons and their friends went to San Francisco to celebrate their Saturday night. Instead of worrying about them as I am inclined to do, I decided to get busy doing my own things! I had a beautiful simple dinner, Exhibit A, and got busy working on a large project I have been trying to finish. So, I don't know what is happening to me here! For some reason I am in my story-telling mood again, remembering so many memories and wanting to share them! You poor things, will have to put up with me. So, here's the story I remembered today.
I said last night that Kaykhosrow Pournazeri's Shams Ensemble (Tanboor Navazan-e Shams) is one of my favorite music groups in Iran. I remember seeing them for the first time in the Bay Area in 1991/1992, when they were touring with Shahram Nazeri. It was an awesome concert, and I remember how much I enjoyed the performance. The local Iranian television station aired several of the songs from the concert and I videotaped them, listening to them frequently. We moved to Iran in 1992, and since my arrival, I was looking for that album. I used to go into music shops and ask for “Shahram Nazeri's new album with Kaykhosrow Pournazeri,” and they kept giving me Motreb-e-Mahtab-roo, which I also loved and owned, but which wasn't what I was looking for. This was most puzzling to me, but I wouldn’t give up, either. I would watch the videotapes of the songs at home and go looking for that album once every few months.
In 1998, one day I was shopping at the nearby Super Jordan which happened to have a music section. I knew the young chaps who worked there, and we would have “musical chats” often. On this day, I asked Mehdi, the guy behind the counter, whether he could help me. I said: “Agha Mehdi, Shahram Nazeri and Tanbournavazan-e-Shams did an album together a few years ago. One of their songs goes something like this…” and I started whispering the song: “dar talabe zohreh rokhe mahroo…” for him. He listened and after a few minutes he said: “I think I have it!” I stopped whispering and just as I started asking him excitedly to show me the album, I heard some people behind me clapping and complementing me on my singing! Can you believe it?! I had not been whispering, I guess! It was rather humiliating, but the best part of the day was that Mehdi brought out the album Heirani (Perplexity) to me and I quickly paid for it and left to listen to it at home, but also to escape the people who most likely thought I was crazy! As to what had happened to the album for all those years, I heard that because the Shams Ensemble had women singing rather prominently in the background of that album, it couldn’t pass Ministry of Guidance’s requirements for publication. With the more relaxed conditions of post-Khatami era, it became possible to release that album. So, I finally got my album, but not before I did an involuntary concert in tribute for it! I leave you with another Shams Ensemble clip tonight. It's awesome. Have a good evening you all.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing the picture of your healthy dinner...makes me feel a little guilty..

I love it when you are in a storytelling mood, Nazy Joonam, because your stories are always interesting and let me learn a little something I never knew before!

Anonymous said...

It is really great. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Nazi Khanoom do you know how I can say that from YouTube?!

Anonymous said...

سلام
خیل کار خوبی کردی بابا ، اصلا چه معنی داره این مامان ها همش به نگران باشن !!؟؟
حیرانی ...
وای که این آلبوم محشره !!
راستی دیکته ی "محشرم" درسته ؟؟
من اصولا دیکتم خیل ضعیفه که البته ارثیه !!!
خلاصه ببخشید

Anonymous said...

Sorry I meant save!!

Anonymous said...

این جمله محشر بود
Instead of worrying about them as I am inclined to do,

Chakameh Azimpour said...

I wish you keep being in the story telling mood :-)) As usual I loved your story.

Anonymous said...

this album is fascinating
i do love it

bijan said...

Thank you for posting this and enlightening me (S.N. & Shams.) Embarrassed to say I’d never heard of them!)

Nazy said...

Salam Assal Jan:

Hee hee! I was more lazy than healthy in putting my dinner together!

Thank you for your supportive words. I will write more stories soon.

Nazy said...

Thank you Shahrzad Jan. I'm not sure whether it's possible to download from YouTube. Perhaps other readers can be more helpful in this area, as I'm really not technical at all. I'm glad you enjoyed the music. Please visit again soon.

Nazy said...

Salam Farshad Jan:

Mothers can't help worry, I guess, but we can and should control our interferences in our adult children's lives. You spelled it correctly. Certainly I never noticed that you have a problem with spelling! I'm glad you like that album, too. I have countless memories of every song in that album, even Heyrani itself which is in Kurdish and I don't know the meaning of its words. I hope you are enjoying your forced days off in snowy Tehran.

Nazy said...

Thank you Mana Jan:

We can only try to do out best by our children. Once they become mature and mobile and independent, it's best to trust them and to leave them alone. Our worries about them do go on, as our lives as mothers are so intertwined with their lives, health, and happiness, but that is our problem not theirs! Be happy azizam.

Nazy said...

Thank you very much Chakameh Jan. Yes, the mood that had all but disappeared for a few months has returned and I will use it while it lasts. I'm working on two sketches right now. I will share soon. Take care my friend.

P.S. I discovered your email and replied this afternoon. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness azizam.

Nazy said...

Dear Anonymous:

I'm glad you share the feeling about that album. Thanks for your comment.

Nazy said...

Salam Bijan Jan:

And thank YOU for coming and reading and leaving your impressions. You know and understand so many other things, and it is my pleasure to humbly share what little I know about. Traditional Iranian music is an acquired taste and I didn't acquire it until my 20's myself, much like many other things Iranian. I hope you have had a good weekend.

Anonymous said...

thanks Nazy joonam ...

Unknown said...

salam.. kasi hast inja ke betoone be man to peida kardane matne ahange "Yavaran masem" az albume Perplexity komak kone???