Bob Dylan, Mohsen Namjoo

A while back a comparison was made between Bob Dylan, and Mohsen Namjoo, a controversial figure in Persian music today. His lyrics discuss growing up in an Islamic state while reflecting the "frustrations and dillusionment" of Iranians. In this way he is very similar to Bob Dylan in the early 1960s, who also wrote acerbic lyrics into the heart of the issues of the day such as civil rights and the corruption of the government.

In a song called "Neo-Kanti," Namjoo sings that "what belongs to us is an apologetic government. What belongs to us is a losing national team." Here he can only be referring to the nation's national soccer side. Most music was banned after the 1974 Islamic Revolution, and only religious and rebellious songs were allowed. Today women are still not allowed to sing.

I found it intriguing that the government of Iran today does not allow Namjoo to receive a license to release his CD, and it is even hard for him to perform publically. Yet he still does. Both he and Bob Dylan believe that controversy and danger both facilitate in some manner what they speak for. In a sense, any attention towards the subject, whether good or bad, puts their country and its actions under the spotlight. As long as someone can expose the feelings of the people to the world.