“…educative and cultural musical works of art strive to achieve cultural preservation through their introspective…”

Not long ago, we were introduced to two albums (Ancient Whispers, and Amordaad) by Khodadad Kaviani; and these fast gained our interest. These educative and cultural musical works of art strive to achieve cultural preservation through their introspective reflections and descriptions of Iranian and Zoroastrian cultural heritage, using music as a medium; journeying through the ancient, timeless and colorful and joyous Persian Zoroastrian heritage. The two albums provide valuable resources for Middle Eastern scholars who want to gain deeper understanding and insight into the timeless values of the Persian culture. The arrangements of these albums are made through presenting holiday traditions of Persia; and even though the musical arrangement is old-school, the contents of the two albums are of immense cultural significance. Zirzamin contacted Khodadad to find out more about his works and efforts.

Zirzamin: Khodi, thanks for giving us your time to have the chance to talk to you.

Khodi: Thank you for your interest in my cultural CDs that highlight the living traditions of Iranians and the people who live in the Greater Iran (Iraan-e Bozorg).

 

Zirzamin: I had the chance to listen to your two albums and noticed that they are two albums of entirely new profile. The contents are really interesting. Can you tell us little bit about the albums, please?

Khodi:  Ancient Whispers, Songs of Persia, was the first cultural CD that I produced. It contains six songs about Norooz, Zoroaster’s Birthday, Jashn-e Teergaan, Jashn-e Mehregaan, Jashn-e Sadeh, and Zoroaster’s Way. These songs not only explain traditions, but also highlight the significance of them.

For example, how many Iranians can explain the significance of Teergaan festival? Teer is the name of the fourth month in the Iranian calendar and in short, the Teergaan festival represents at least three main ideas: (1) The longest day of the year, (2) a playful day to have fun by pouring water on each other, and (3) remembering Aarash, the lone Iranian archer, whose arrow flew the farthest and made it possible for Iran and Turan to settle their border dispute and achieved peace. This song has more details and a person can use the song as a starting point to reconnect with their Iranian heritage.

Amordaad, Songs of Persia II, was the second cultural CD and it contains six additional songs: Chaahaar Shanbeh Soori, Jashn-e Aazargaan, Jashn-e Aabaangaan, Yaldaa – Jashn-e Daygaan, Jashn-e Ardibeheshtgaan, and Jashn-e Amordaadgaan. These names are familiar to all Iranians. As you may know, Iranian culture is full of celebrations and honoring life. We have at least one major festival per month, honoring the elements (water, fire, earth, and wind) that make life possible and noble ideals (happiness, truth, justice, progress, humanity, etc) that give meaning to life.

Iranians have a name for each day of the month. When the name of the day and the name of the month coincide, a feast is held. For example, Jashn-e Aazargaan (rooz-e Aaazar va Maah-e Aazar) is about valuing fire and its importance in human life. Ancient Iranians recognized five different types of fire: (1) useful fire used for keeping homes warm and cook food (Bozorg soodmand); (2) energy in plants that make them grow; (3) lightening; (4) energy that keeps our bodies warm and functioning; (5) holy fire burning in the presence of the creator. In ancient Iran, fire temples had many functions that included serving as landmarks, and places of worship.

These songs reveal the cultural values of our ancestors and provide us with a sense of pride rooted in traditions that value life, nature, friendship and other values that distinguish the Iranian civilization. These albums come with booklets that explain the concepts used in the songs and can serve as a valuable resource for those interested in Iranian traditions.      

 

Zirzamin: Frankly speaking, a lot of things you say are very Zoroastrian oriented and would be very new to the average Iranian who even think Zoroastrians are fire worshipers and have several gods a [laugh breaks out]. I mean, who else but Zoroastrians celebrates at least one happy feast every month? And yet you generalize this. Isn’t that a wishful thinking?

Khodi: First of all, Zoroaster was Iranian and his writings are considered the oldest Iranian text. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all Iranians to read, understand, and question Zoroaster’s Gatha which means Songs. Furthermore, “identity” is a socially constructed idea. Internalizing oppression and accepting the false labels like the ones you have mentioned, are incongruent with the Iranian identity. What does it really mean to be Iranian? Researching and understanding our Iranian cultural heritage and working to preserve it are the responsibility of all Iranians. Ignoring our cultural roots and not understanding them is a sure way of losing our Iranian identity. Third, if people like Ferdosi who wrote Shaahnaameh (The Book of Kings) and many other poets who wrote in Persian (Sa’di, Hafez, Molavi, etc) did not care about our language and culture, then we would have lost the Persian language. Those who want to separate Iranians from their ancient roots and their living culture are the real wishful thinkers. The least we can do as Iranians is to understand the meaning of the words that represent each month and learn more about the festivals that are associated with each month. Knowledge and awareness empowers people and helps them connect to their cultural roots.   

 

Zirzamin: What do you consider being our current (i.e. today’s average Iranian) cultural values? How have the cultural values of our ancestors changed?

Khodi: As I mentioned earlier, culture is socially constructed and it encompasses many things that include language, customs, beliefs, values and other factors. As the saying goes, it is difficult for the fish to recognize the environment that it swims in. When a fish is taken out of its environment, then it becomes easy for the fish to identify the water. The Iranian identity will continue to evolve and change. To better understand the scope and depth of the change, it is appropriate to examine/study the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and identify the new societal norms and values that were introduced and internalized by the general population. A new national identity has been forged based on religion and Iranian nationalism. The concept of “average Iranian” is hard to define. It is the responsibility of each generation to study the past, question those values, and then decide what path would best serve them and the people. When people don’t question the values and rituals found in society and accept them blindly, that’s called indoctrination. A critical attribute of the Iranian identity calls for questioning the norms and challenging ideas.

 

Zirzamin: What is your goal with your works?

Khodi: The songs highlight the living traditions of Zoroastrians of Iran that form the cultural foundation of Iranian identity. Iranians have multiple identities and their oldest identity is rooted in traditions that are in-tune with nature (12 months of the year). These celebrations honor the seasons, history, and myths that are uniquely Iranian. In Nedaaye Neeyaakaan and Amordaad albums, my goals have been to introduce people to the Iranian culture through songs. In other words, these songs explain the meanings behind many of our traditions that some people may have forgotten. By singing these songs, people can learn about living traditions of our ancestors and connect with noble ideals that promote individual worth, freedom of choice, respect for nature, happiness, justice, progress, friendship, and peace that have sustained our Iranian identity. 

 

Zirzamin: Can you explain little bit more what you mean by “Iranians have multiple identities”?

Khodi: Every person has multiple memberships in the world. For example, a person may be a Baluchi, Azari, Tehrani, Shiraazi, Esfahaani, female, mother, married or divorced, heterosexual or homosexual, disabled, belong to a religious or multiple religious groups, member of a sports club, artist, rich or poor, member of a volunteer organization, belong to a civic organization, be a citizen of two or three countries, and so forth. In other words, we need to think of people in multi-dimensional ways and not reduce them to a single attribute. These identities evolve and change over time.

 

Zirzamin: Who has written the songs and the lyrics?

Khodi: I researched the festivals by studying Zoroastrian texts and Shaahnaameh. I wrote the lyrics for these songs and many of the melodies.

 

Zirzamin: These albums contain elements of Zoroastrianism that might not be known to everybody.  Would you based on this still connect with majority of Iranians? And what age group do you think connects with your songs easiest?

Khodi: These songs tell stories about the meanings behind the various living traditions that Iranians have. I use the present tense to describe them because they are still being practiced and kept alive by many Iranians in Iran, in other countries neighboring Iran, and Iranians who live abroad. Those stories form the foundation of what it means to be Iranian. Young and old can sing with them and enjoy them. They are created with the intention of informing and entertaining the listener. Hopefully, people become curious and ask about the cultural significance of Bahman, the month in the Iranian calendar and the remaining eleven months. This is only a starting point to better connect with the past and develop a sense and an appreciation for our rich culture.  As Hafez says, “Saalhaa del talab-e jam-e jam az maa meekard,  aan che khod daasht ze beegaaneh tammannaa meekard!”     

 

Zirzamin: It’s also very new to me to see the name of a Persian pop singer, Nooshafarin and connect it to cultural perseveration. What made her cooperate on such an album, which would have nothing new to offer to her from a musical perspective?

Khodi:  I invited Nooshafarin to sing with me because I wanted to show the equality of genders in the Iranian culture. Having both man and woman’s voices in these songs represent the equality of men and women. Her contribution to this album allowed Nooshafarin to expand her musical genre and become part of a larger ideal. What she sings has meaning and is significant. The value of these songs will increase over time, as more people want to connect to their Iranian roots.

 

Zirzamin: Many of the young adults (below5 years) who are in Iran and those outside of Iran

have been exposed to other cultures. How much do our young adults know of our original values, history and traditions? Is there any difference between these two groups?

Khodi: I am sure that there are differences. However, the important thing is for the individual to have access to information and exercise his or her natural right to ask questions and seek knowledge to form his or her own identity. 

 

Zirzamin: Young adults grown up outside of Iran naturally lack of a good base of the Persian language. Since you are using poetry to communicate the contents, do you think that you can capture their interests?

Khodi: Those who are interested in learning will always find a way to enlightenment. Each CD contains an informational booklet (in Persian and English) that can help the reader better understand the songs.  

 

Zirzamin: Based on the contents, I was wondering why you didn’t sing anything about Asha or sing in Dari. Why is that? Where does the line go in your lyrics/works?

Khodi: The songs about Zoroaster’s Way and Zoroaster’s Birthday do mention the concept of Asha. Singing in Persian, allows all Iranians to understand the meanings behind our ancestors’ traditions. Nobody has exclusive monopoly over the ideals that Zoroaster expressed. His ideas are universal and worth examining and discussing with an open mind. The lyrics are designed to inform, educate, and entertain.

 

Zirzamin: How do you distribute your albums and what feedback have you got so far?

Khodi: Interested individuals can visit my web site at www.khodi.com and order these cultural albums. People have been very supportive and use these songs to celebrate many of our traditions. I am glad to have played a part in preserving our valuable culture through songs and sharing them with others. Many parents use these songs to teach their children about Iranian traditions in a way that is entertaining. 

 

Zirzamin: If you would to pick a few lines from one of your songs, which one would it be and why?

Khodi: I really like Amordaad. It means immortal (one of the attributes of the Creator: The Great Life-Giving Wise One) and the song highlights the importance of eliminating hunger from the world, establishing justice, and promoting peace worldwide.

 

Zirzamin: Don’t you think that Zoroastrians around the world should play a more active role in spreading the ancient culture of Iran? If this assumption of inactivity is right, what makes them not be the front-runners?

Khodi: There are many Iranians who care about the Iranian culture and do whatever they can to highlight the parts of the culture that deserves remembering and preserving (such as Norooz, Mehregaan, Saddeh, etc). Learning about our traditions is the responsibility of all Iranians. Zoroastrians make less than one percent of the Iranian population. They will continue to do what they can to preserve the culture. As the old generation continues to die, the work of preserving our traditions becomes harder. As I have emphasized before, we all need to study the past, question our rituals and customs, and only then, knowingly and willingly work to preserve and promote the thoughtful, peaceful and generous culture of our ancestors. Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds are the foundation of the Iranian identity. Whoever promotes these ideas and incorporates them in his or her life, is the front-runner!

 

Zirzamin: Do you know of any other cultural artists who have followed similar paths as you?

Khodi: No. Whoever writes songs about Iranian traditions must do extensive research before claiming that his or her work is “cultural.”

 

Zirzamin: Many thanks, Khodi jaan.

Khodi: Thank you!