Pourya's Blog (Iranian Music & More )

Crocks, the dam-payi knock-offs!

pourya — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:57:05 +0000

I recall from my childhood back in Iran that we wore “dam-payis” of the Kafshe Melli brand, which were all one-piece roughly cut plastic footwears in all sorts of vivid colors. Cheap as hell! I found them incredibly tacky even back then. A couple of years ago when the Crocks hit the stores I had a horrible flashback! Just couldn’t believe my eyes! It was as if the Western world had waited decades to copy our crappy dam-payis!lol And what baffles me is that these became popular and are still popular, while they should be fashionably illegal! *%¤#”!!lol

Bought for the cover

pourya — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:51:06 +0000

I have previously mentioned that as someone who is interested in cover art and design I sometimes buy albums just for the sake of the artwork, without having a clue about the kind of music it contains! La Roux is my latest purchase of such kind. I just love the composition, the color combination and lettering. Very chic, 80’s style. The face and hair also remind me of my good friend Lena. Now remains to be heard what the music actually sounds like! If it is the Electro-POP that the cover conveys, or not!

Richard brings Sirvan to Holland!

pourya — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:42:05 +0000

My good friend Richard is like I’ve written before more enthusiastic and supportive of the domestic POP industry than any Iranian I’ve ever met! Including myself! This Dutch gentleman has many times before attempted to introduce our music to the Dutch media and public and his recent attempt seems to have slam dunked! Being a Sirvan fan (as hardcore as he is I’d say “devote”!) he has managed to convince the FunX Radio in Holland to consider giving Sirvan’s songs airtime! The station has asked its listeners to chose one of four songs to be given rotation. Dank je wel, Richard (hope I’ve spelled the dutch correctly, since you beat even me in nitpicking!lol )!

European Union

pourya — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:08:59 +0000

France’s Sophie Marceau and Italy’s Monica Bellucci, two international sex symbols! The photos above portray them as young starlets and even though I’ve always loved both of these ladies, there is no question to whom time has been extra kind!

These European beauties have recently realized the fantasy of many men (moi included) by uniting talents in a movie called “Ne Te Retourne Pas”. A thriller which looks promising!

I can’t wait to see them together in action, joining …talents!

Sheybani passed away

pourya — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:52:07 +0000

The legendary talent discoverer, lyricist, composer and producer Jamshid Sheybani passed away in Los Angeles! This artistic entrepreneur was one of the Persian POP music’s visionaries and pioneers. Watch this video clip from Parviz Gharib-Afshar’s TV show in which he presents the Turkish diva Emel Sayn to the Iranians in a song of his own played by the keyboard prodigy Anoushiravan Rohani. This particular clip is one of the most memorable moments in the history of Iranian popular culture!

May his multi-talented soul rest in peace.

Namjoo sentenced to five years in prison!

pourya — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:47:57 +0000

Mohsen Namjoo has reportely been sentenced to five years in prison for his controversial use of verses from the holy Quran!

News:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=100593&sectionid=351020101

BBC interview in response:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090713_maf_iran_namjoo.shtml

Previous blog posts in this regard:

http://www.bia2.com/pourya/?p=607

http://www.bia2.com/pourya/?p=623

http://www.bia2.com/pourya/?p=629

Note: thanks to Siamak

Aref’s song for freedom

pourya — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:16:11 +0000

note: thanks to Siamak

Jhanvieh brings you Wolf and Vampire

pourya — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:40:28 +0000

Jhanvieh has released a new EP entitled “Gorg (Wolf)” and a song called “Khon Asham (Vampire)” in relation to the recent events in Iran. You can download the song for free from this link.

Lovely Anahita of Jhanvieh

Aslani for Neda

pourya — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Note: thanks to Siamak

Madonna’s “Get Stupid” live with images from Tehran protests

pourya — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:33:26 +0000

Note: thanks to Siamak.

Satrapi does Pop

pourya — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:48:55 +0000

After Iggy Pop’s voice over on the English version of “Persepolis“, Marjane Satrapi returns the favor by illustrating the recent album of the old PUNK icon. I had seen the cover before the release, but wasn’t aware of it being the work of Satrapi. You can’t really say that the cover reminds of her style or that its a clever image for a cover, it looks more like the cover of a random Jazz/Latin American album. Even though the music of this album is rather Jazzy its still Iggy Pop and this cover isn’t! I like the interior design and illustrations (like the portrait of him on the vinyl cover) however, which are closer to her personal signature style! The set above is the numbered limited edition, click here to order from French amazon.

note: thanks to Siamak

Much more than a sexy poster!

pourya — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:33:49 +0000

I’ve owned this movie in more than a year now, purchased solely because of its cover! OF COURSE! hehe! And I was under the impression of it being the kind of teen-movie with next-to-no substance and ambition other than cashing in on its only worth-watching scene depicted on the poster (warning: nudity!). Boy I was wrong! It is a comedy, in a way, but far from merely shallow. Its also something of a philosophical manifest which is mainly, if not only, revealed and realized at a particular stage in life. I personally have gone through a similar one, pondering the details of being, with my own “manifest” written and archived somewhere. I especially relate to the male lead character’s interest in art and thoughts about aesthetics, the female beauty and form in particular. The transitions back and forth between comedy and drama can be a tricky one, but in this case it is pulled off and paved through an amazing soundtrack. I mean Guy Farely has scored this movie, for God’s sake! My absolute favorite soundtrack scorer who doesn’t do less than epic proportions. Overall This movie shows how a clever cover can actually stand for a clever content and not just to cover the lack of it!

Naturalborn posers?

pourya — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:15:46 +0000

Speaking of posing for pictures, in the post about the 7th Music Band written days ago, people sometimes ask me how comes I tend to strike a pose when being photographed. I know I do and I have been thinking about it and come to the conclusion that its more of an automatic reaction than a conscious move. Of course through the years I have become more and more aware of the fact that I tend to do that, but ever since I was a kid even when I wasn’t fully aware of being photographed I happened to pose when I found myself facing the camera! Like in this candid pic which was taken by a lurking relative when I was on a daily escapade in our family house garden.

The Sartorialist is one of my favorite blogs when it comes to both fashion and photography. The fashion photographer Scott Schuman walks the streets of the world during spare time and shoots people whom he finds fashionable and photogenic. This image, courtesy of his blog, has managed to capture, what I would like to call, a family of naturalborn posers! Look at that father and his kids, the look in their eyes and their posture. Keep in mind that this was a candid shot of random people which was snapped in a matter of seconds when meeting them on the street. Yet each one of these gentlemen looks as if he has been preparing for this shot his entire life! Conclusively my argument is that its genetic, …being photogenic.

Askari and Sadeghi postponing further

pourya — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:49:05 +0000

Hamid Askari and Reza Sadeghi’s albums which were postponed due to different reasons are put on hold ’til further notice. Askari’s company say that their decision is caused by the latest socio-political events in the country, which will prevent the album’s exposure! Reza Sadeghi’s company present their reason the fact that the album leakage was caused by thieves breaking in to Sadeghi’s home and stealing his computer! Until the investigation goes on the record will remain unreleased.

Wyclef singing for Iranians

pourya — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:47:24 +0000

Sax Appeal

pourya — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:48:57 +0000

Miss Candy Dulfer today, looking just as saxy and sexy as she did 20 years ago! I remember the summer of 1989 and “Lilly Was Here”, the HIT-theme of the not so famous Dutch movie “De Kassière”. Eurythmics had just split up and Dave Stewart gone solo before Annie Lennox, if I recall correctly. In this instrumental duet he invited a young unknown saxophonist by the name of Candy Dulfer. Candy became an instant success much thanks to her being beautiful, her catchy Candy name and a sex appeal (her debut was titled “SAXuality”) to go with the unconventional instrument! She came to set a new trend for other female musicians with classic instruments and sex appeal to follow the same path, artists such as the Aussie all-female quartet BOND and the Swedish-Finish violinist Linda Lapenius (who took it one step further by playing in nothing but a bikini!). Today, 20 years after, I am still enjoying miss Dulfer’s sassy classy sax appeal!

Yeganeh to record in Tarkan’s studio

pourya — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:32:59 +0000

Mohsen Yeganeh is heading towards Turkey to record his next album in Tarkan’s private studio! The album has changed working title from “Taboot” to “Taghaas”.

Portrait of a beloved

pourya — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:40:26 +0000

My late dear grandfather was a painting artist. He was my teacher and source of inspiration when I was a child. I remember sitting next to him on weekends, when he attended to oil painting up in our family house’s attic. I sat beside him one day back in 1996 and quickly draw this sketchy portrait, I was 21 back then. He passed away a few years ago and ever since I have been searching for this portrait which I felt captured his smiling spirit as I always saw it! A while ago I found it in a long lost folder, together with many other drawings of mine from that time. God rest his soul …

U2 goes green in solidarity with Iranian freedom movement

pourya — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:33:49 +0000

Note: thanks to Siamak

Girlfriend material

pourya — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:16:48 +0000

One of my favorite PORNSTARS, the über-sweet and super-sexy Sasha Gray, has done a Traci Lords! Well not exactly, since while Traci left the adult industry all bitter and for good Sasha has just crossed over to mainstream cinema while still being active in the adult counterpart.

She is starring in the lead role of the acclaimed producer/director Steven Soderbergh’s experimental and RedOne cam-shot “The Girlfriend Experience” which is being shown in international film festivals at the moment.

I’m attending a screening soon and am looking forward to meet miss Gray in person. Please don’t envy, or …by all means do!lol btw, the tag-line of the film goes “see it with someone you ****”! hehe, I love it!