Like father, like son: Homayoun Shajarian following footsteps of Iranian music maestro
Yesterday marked the 46th birthday of Iranian classical music singer Homayoun Shajarian.
The son and protégé of legendary singer Mohammadreza Shajarian, Homayoun is considered by many as one of the pillars of Iranian music, just as his late father was for decades.
Born in an artistic family, as a child, Homayoun learned the basics of traditional music under the late Iranian musician and tonbak (drum) player Nasser Farhangmehr.
Shajarian went on to learn vocal skills through his father’s encouragement, while becoming a player of stringed instruments santoor and setar under Ardeshir Kamkar.
Shajarian broke into the Iranian music scene as a 16-year-old co-singer alongside his father, and tonbak player in numerous concerts around the world, where he had the privilege of working with prominent composers Hossein Alizadeh and Kayhan Kalhor.
His first album as a solo singer, ‘Nasim-e Vasl,’ composed by Mohammad Javad Zarrabian, was released in 2003, followed by ‘Nashakiba,’ composed by his childhood
master Kamkar, and ‘Showq-e Doost,’ again with Zarrabian, the following year.
‘Naqsh-e Khiyal,’ ‘Ba Setareh-ha,’ ‘Qeyzhaak-e Koli,’ ‘Khorshid-e Arezoo,’ ‘Ab, Nan, Avaz,’ and ‘Shab-e Jodayi’ were among his other works over the next 12 years, before the mid-2010’s became a pivotal point in his career.
Shajarian embarked on a new chapter with his 2014 album, ‘Beyond Any Form,’ with Iranian composer Tahmoures Pour-nazeri, and then in working with Pour-nazeri’s brother, Sohrab, the Iranian singer delivered a new form of singing, one that is more appealing to the new generation.
The latter duo’s partnership led to the making of ‘Khodavandan-e Asrar’ (Lords of Secrets) in 2015 and then hit soundtracks of a couple of Hamid Nematollah’s movies: ‘Heavy Make-up’ (2016) and ‘Subdued’ (2017).
While Shajarian’s new music won the public’s applause, it failed to meet the expectations of those devoted to the old-fashioned Persian vocalists.
Despite being disappointed in his new style, they believe that Homayoun Shajarian will pass traditional music to the future generations.
To them, Shajarian is already ranked among the greatest in music and does not need new forms of expression to establish his status.
No matter what the future will hold for Shajarian, the artist will surely go down as a true great in the history of Iranian music, one who, to a large extent, resembles the voice and magnificence of his father.