Mohsen Namjoo blends sublime classical Persian rhythms with rock and blues. He combines religious songs and folklore. He plays the traditional Iranian lute – the setar – along with the electric guitar. His lyrics mix the poetry of the venerated Hafez and Rumi with ordinary chatter in the bazaar. Namjoo’s music highlights the incongruity of Iranian society today. That’s why he’s known as the Iranian Bob Dylan.
Source: The Guardian
I came across Mohsen Namjoo’s music a few years ago, and while I hadn’t listened to him since, the wife and I put it on last night while we were having Persian food (baghali polo, mirza ghassemi, kashk bademjan, and, of course, a shit ton of sabzi) — and I remembered how much I enjoyed it. This is very, very different from what my father listened to when I was growing up. This ain't Googoosh.
