Sixth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

This paper explores how Mohammad Reza Shajarian (1940-2020), arguably the most celebrated Iranian musician in recent times, was eulogized in the media after his death. Shajarian was a vocalist, calligrapher, and instrument innovator who refined āvāz-the traditional art of singing Persian poetry. A recipient of many prestigious international awards for his music, he was active during the 1979 Revolution and the 2009 Green Movement (Siamdoust 2017). Considered -beyond music- “an icon of contemporary Iran” (Simms 2012), Shajarian died on October 8, 2020, after fighting cancer for many years. News of his passing appeared in all Persian-language media, as well as in most major English media outlets (e.g. NYT, CNN, BBC, ABC, CTV) in a variety of tones in the titles and descriptions. By analyzing over twenty publications in both English and Persian languages I demonstrate how Shajarian was over-politicized in Western media; how was given credit for works he did not compose, and how his many artistic endeavours were overshadowed by his political significance. Drawing on interviews with musicians who worked with Shajarian in different periods, and referring to scholarly works on music and politics (e.g. Street 2012; Siamdoust 2017) I elucidate how musicians and scholars perceive his political activities in the field of Persian music differently from media representations. In so arguing, my work contributes to scholarship (e.g. Dabashi 2007; Simms 2012), which advocates for the understanding of Iranian art within a socio-political context, as well as to the scholarship of media and politics (e.g. Craig 2004, Frishkopf 2010).