(Pedestrian Blog) | March 26, 2010
I’ve been meaning to post this for some time now.
BaroBax is one of Iran’s most famous bands right now (their site needs some English editing, calling them “an alternative video and music producer”) …And irrespective of how you feel about their music, they are part of the crowd inside Iran (they have recently left) that have actually managed to semi-dethrone the colorful, triumphant Tehrangeles (the long standing LA based Iranian pop singers).
A part of what makes these newer bands so popular is their reference to current cultural/political/social realities in the streets of Tehran … a talent the singers in LA never had. And the fact that looking at these dashing young men, they resemble most any other boy walking the streets of Tehran today (the “hip” ones of course)… they look and sound oddly familiar, and that has gained them an even bigger following.
One of BaroBax’s most popular songs right now is “Soosan Khanom” [Lady Susan]:
What made me want to post this is when I saw a group of students at the dormitories at Sharif University of Technology (in Tehran) parodying the music video:
Dormitories in Iran have a life of their own … and one that most people don’t ever hear much about … unless that life is brought to a sudden standstill by blood and violence, like it was earlier this year at the University of Tehran.
I previously posted a video of students making fun of religious mourning songs here – this remains one of my favorite videos of all time. It’s not only hilarious to infinity, it’s such a lively cultural critique … Raymond Williams would be proud.