Mohammad Reza Shajarian is Iran’s most famous classical singer. His performances have been internationally acclaimed. Every year, Shajarian’s prayer, the rabanaa, was aired on state television during Ramadan, signaling to Iranian viewers that it was time to break their daily fast. But when Shajarian fell out with the authorities by supporting the Green Movement protests in 2009, his star within the Islamic Republic establishment fell.
Domestically, Shajarian remained relatively quiet — until May 5. During an international conference in Iran in honor of Iranian poet Hafez, Shajarian was asked to speak. He started by saying he did not know he was going to be brought up to the stage, or he would have prepared a statement. He recited a couple of his favorite verses from Hafez and said, “When I sing, I cannot sing without poetry. It’s like a car without gasoline.” He added, “When the richness of Hafez’s poetry is there, it leads me to singing.” He referred to Hafez as a “coach, a teacher, a father.”
