Portland Folk Rag-grass with a Punk Rock Heart

Born in 1976 in Khorasan province, one of epicenters of poetry and music north east of Iran, Mohsen Namjoo is a Singer Songwriter, Music scholar and Setar (traditional Persian lute) player currently based in New York City. Featured on many world renowned press such as NY Times, The Guardian, BBC, LA times and many more Namjoo is considered a visionary artist who speaks for the youth in Iran. Seamlessly blending the Classical Persian music and scales with electric guitar,Rock and Blues vocal techniques with Persian Avaz (singing). He fuses the ancient with the current. His unique style of singing and effortless mixture of music from east and west has made him an iconic persona in contemporary world music.

Since his arrival to the U.S. in 2009, Namjoo has been touring the world to sold out concerts at prestigious halls including Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco; Conservatorio Sala Verdi, Milan, Italy;  Disney Hall and Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, Barbican Hall, London, Symphony Space NYC, Volkswagen Arena Istanbul and many more. He is one of the few middle eastern artists who has following all across the world from Tehran to New York to Melbourne to Istanbul to Berlin and many more cities.

Shahin Najafi is a musician, poet, singer, and social activist. He was born in 1980 to a middle-class family in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran, the youngest of eight children. He started writing poetry and learning to play classical and flamenco guitar in his teens. He turned to rock music, often performing as an underground musician.
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As a young activist, Shahin's lyrics often conveyed strong and controversial messages about Iranian society. This attracted the disapproval of Iranian authorities and in 2004, the threat of persecution forced him to leave Iran.
In 2005, Shahin moved to Germany. Dubbed the "angry bard", he continued to write and perform music that was critical of conditions in Iran: poverty, oppression of women, homophobia, censorship, ideological dogmas, violence and cultural taboos. For a time, his career veered into rap and hip hop, bringing him fame among young fans back in Iran. These days, Shahin's music fuses rock, jazz, and blues with lyrics that demand change.
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In 2012, Shahin released his most controversial song: Naghi. In it, he exhorts a Shiite Imam named Naghi to help solve some of the problems plaguing Iran. But religious hardliners called the song an insult to Imams, a crime severely punished in Iran, and used Fatwas (religious edicts) to demand his death. Around the world, politicians, scholars, musicians, and devoted fans rose to Shahin’s defence, propelling him into the limelight as a proponent of free speech.
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In 2013, Shahin Najafi's book Wenn Gott Schläft (When God is Asleep) was published. This collection of his original poems, lyrics and observations tell of his personal struggles with religion and provide searing insights into the true nature of Iranian society.
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Shahin Najafi lives in Germany, and is still at odds with Iranian authorities. He remains a dedicated and defiant artist who refuses to be silenced, delivering his message to enthusiastic audiences wherever he tours. His fan base continues strong in Iran and has spread around the world.

Ali Azimi is as much a storyteller as he is a musician and lyricist. As one of the pioneers of the alternative music scene in Iran, his music speaks to a generation of young Iranians who are looking for fresh sounds and new stories, and whose hopes and dreams are formed within a unique and difficult political and economic system. Ali is a singer-songwriter who experiments with various genres of music while incorporating persian lyrics and musical roots. 

Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Ali Azimi began his interest in music at a young age. Coming from a musical family, he self learned to play the Piano and studied classical guitar with Bagher Moazen. After studying and working in Engineering at Tehran University and the United Kingdom, Ali decided to shift his focus and follow his passion for music in his early 30s. The songs 33 from the album, Mr. Mean and Tatilat from his album 88 with his former band Radio Tehran are both inspired by this experience. 

Ali Azimi went to Iran in the year 1388 (2009) and formed his first band Radio Tehran who recorded the album 88. His first solo album, “Mr. Mean” was released in October 2013. This album includes major hit songs such as “Prelude” (Pishdaramad), and “Mr. Mean” (Aghaye Past). The music video for the song “Mr. Mean” won first prize at Farhang Foundation’s short film festival.

Ali released his second solo album “Till Glory Finds Us” (Ezzat Ziad) in June 2016 with hit songs such as “Come Find me Tomorrow” (Farda Soraghe Man Bia) Featuring Mohsen Namjoo and “Life” (Zendegi) based on a poem by Houshang Ebtehaj.

His latest album, “Of Love And Other Evils” (Az Eshgh va Digar Shayateen) is set to be released in summer 2019. The concept album follows the story of a relationship in an abstract form and each song describes one phase of the relationship, returning at the end to where the story began; wandering again and looking for love.

“Of Love and Other Evils” is a collaboration between some of the best musicians within the iranian alternative music scene from around the world. Ali will be promoting this album in his upcoming tour spanning over 20 cities around the world in 2019/2020. 

New Song "New Kind of Lonely" Out Now! Go listen and grab tickets to see us on tour ⬇️
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