NAMJOO

Nice Scenery!

He has chosen a nice scenery for his song!

Where is it? California?

Dear friends, I just listened again to some of Namjoo's songs

I have seven of Namjoo's songs on my IPod. I listened to three/four of them earlier this morning. I even wrote down the lyrics of couple of them. I have to say yes, Namjoo is an acquired taste. If I listen to many of the songs on my Ipod, they sound nice to my ear, even some of the songs we might call "Mobtazal". However, with "Namjoo" 's songs, the flow is sometimes interrupted. Sometimes, change is celebrated but we have to also know that if something is not broken, we don't need to fix it. Any way, I still think liking certain Artist is very personal. So some like Namjoo and some do not. But an artist has to always know that to introduce change just for element of change will get tiresome soon and then people will go back to what always works, beautiful lyrics and nice music and please don't assault my ears.

Namjoo's Raw Synthesis of East and West.

Like it or not , Namjoo's Toranj is one of the most powerful pieces by Namjoo; A Raw Synthesis of East and West. 

The new Video by itself is a welcome cinematic interpretation, Judging by the richness of the images and the current trend in digital cinematography, the producers are using the new crop of Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras by Canon.which has "democratized" film making and given the average film maker the ability to produce low cost high resolution cinematic images rivaling 35mm motion picture film, using a camera originally designed for still photography.

There is perhaps some irony to this "democratization", relative to IRAN, a country in democratic struggle, Namjoo's forced exile and his marriage of Persian to western rock elements in Toranj.

Faryar 

Namjoo

As much as I love Namjoo's music, I realise that some of his works are an acquired taste.

This discussion thread reminds me of Pierre Bourdieu who said, "No judgement of taste is innocent - we are all snobs." 

In my opinion

Toranj is not his best work. He has some better songs such as "begoo begoo" and "zolf bar baad".

In general, in the face of cheap "Los Angelesi" songs he has a unique and creative style and for that, deserves a nice pat on the back.   

hate his singing

I don't like anything about this guy's singing.  First and foremost, I hate the quality and sound of his voice.  Generally I prefer men with a lower voice, and even among men with similar  voice range, his voice just doesn't sound good to me. 

I don't like his singing either, and  I specially hate it when he goes to crescendos, which he does mostly without preparing the audiance. ( not doing it gradually to reach the peak).  Sometimes singers do  these sudden crescendos on occasion for drama, but he is doing it so frequently as a matter of style, and I find it annoying. I say this, because his songs begin with a slow tempo, and I expect something soothing, and all of a sudden his ugly "arbadeh"  comes along.  I also don't like his infusion.  It sounds terrible.  I don't like a lot of his lyrics either. I cannot think of any singer that I like less.  Even the really bad singers cannot generate this level of dislike in me, perhaps because they do not try to be different. 

Namjoo is true artist BUT

I do not like the artists who put politics before their art......it spoilts their art!

He truly has an original approach in his works in th earena of Persian culture....a mix of local and international instruments and music is not an easy job.

I wished he stayed in Iran and did not loose his temper with politics....For an artist with fine heart, politics is a poison!

Dear Namjoo....for the love of people....folus more on your heart and music and less on becoming a political instrument!

چرا هر کی‌ یه کوکاکولا میخوره تو کالیفرنیا، فارسی یادش میره؟

Idea? Rhythm? Etude? Test? Melody? Recording? ... 

And all in a one-minute talk about something that actually happend 7 years ago in Mashhad, Iran!

Souri, I think you are missing on a big

piece of music that Namjoo is the vangaurd in.   He has a song named the 60's.   If you grew up in in Iran in the 60's during the war you would understand and identify with this song.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr_raSUOfvw

As I was not in Iran during that time, I  needed my wife to explain a lot of intercacies of that song.    Just one sample was Batu Batu.

The whole vehcical of music for expression of feelings of day today life is almost unheard of in our music.   The traditional sticks with the abstracts and the pop, oh well.   So it was truly refreshing to hear that.    please listen to the end the last statement makes it all come togeher.    

Dear Rea,

Our friend “Emrooz” was able to comment and provide a very detailed summery of the different meanings for the word “ Toranj” in Farsi (pasted below but he or she has written it Farsi):

A rough translation from Farsi to English of the Different meanings of Toranj that “Emrooz” has provided is as follows:

1-      A type of fruit as Souri has mentioned.

2-      Large, big, compiled or intensely entangled.

3-      Smooth, as in having a rough day or a smooth day ahead.

4-      It could also be used as a name: meaning beautiful & feminine

Hope this helps and sweet dreams ;)

I was supposed to be in bed

but you two are making me laugh with this kinky linguistic business. ;o)

In Croatian-Serb-Bosniak "toranj" means a 'tower". That's all there is, hence my question.

No hiden thoughts, no "large, big, compiled and entangled", he,he.

Nite ;o)

فرهنگ واژگان

تازه ترنج

زرین ترنج

No, I didn't get it Legion

What did you mean by: Large, big, compiled and entangled ?

Could you explain it better please? You were trying to explain to Rea, what was the exact meaning of "Toranj" by Mohsen Namjoo!

It seems that you know better what Namjoo meant by Toranj, that's why you love him so much ;-)

LOL , ;)) Souri….

You didn’t get it, did you ;)

large, big, compiled and entangled! ;)

Thx Souri and Legion, I got it ;o)

And thx google, too.

Okay, got it Rea

It is mostly like the Bergamot, from the family of Rutaceae.

Its name in English is Citrus bergamia Risso

 //www.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=Citrus+bergamia+Risso%29&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=pM6wTLGsH4H6lweOvZznDw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCoQsAQwAw&biw=1024&bih=583

//fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AC

May God helps all of us, the bisavaad!

;Dear Rea

Toranj is a fruit from the family of "Orange"

!It looks mostly like a grape fruit

Unfortunately I can't post it's picture here, but you can go on google and type this

ترنج میوه

.Then click on the image

It is funny that the people who love so much a poet, do not try to learn at least what they are thalking about

Rea,

Not sure, I tried looking it up in a Farsi dictionary

It may have a few meanings in the lines of:  large, big, compiled and entangled!

I am sure others with more knowledge may be able to provide a more accurate meaning.

What does 'toranj' mean ?

Just out of curiosity. Thx. ;o)

Mesmerizing

The combination of lyrics, song, music, shots and video editing makes this music video the best ever produced Iranian music video. It explains the popularity of Namjoo among the lovers of Iranian music. 

Namjoo

Namjoo is the voice of his generation, unique, uninhibited, and raw. This voice was most uninhibited in Iran, where there were so many challenges for it to be heard and understood. Here and in other places, he points out to not being able to have a stage, a studio, a permit to record his music, or to even learn whether people were hearing him and what they thought. He was brave just the same, and he and his friends kept writing the kind of music that whether you like it or not, will forever be unlike anything else we had heard.

Toranj is the product of genius musical and poetic collaboration between a bunch of young musicians in Iran and a poet who wrote those words some 700 years ago, all brought through Mohsen Namjoo's genius. It is one of his best songs as a result. I hope he writes more like it.

خاله ثری الا دوله محترم،

خاله ثری محترم،

یه موقعه جسارت نشه، ما کی فحش دادیم؟ "گنده گوزی" که از همان استهلا‌هات انتیک ( نه ببخشید اصیل) فارسی هستش!

حالا به شما بر نخوره، منظوره ما از نسل شما بیشتر از نظر فکر ی و سلیقه بود نه سنی‌، ما همه هنوز جوان هستیم، یا که سعی‌ میکنیم باشیم.

ما هم نخواستیم به شما درسه موزیک بدیم و نامجو جان را به زور به خورد و پسنده شما در بیاریم، این خوده شما بودین که کامنت خود را در مورد اینکه هنرمند

آن هم در محیطه غرب باید مدله موهاش چی‌ باشه و چه جوری شکلو تیپرش مثله آدمیزاد باشه گنده گوزی و نقد هنری صادر کردید انگار که شصت ساله تو هالی وود

اینکاره هستید!

از بابت درس لغات و ادبیات فارسی هم ممنون، مثلا ما نمیتونستیم زور بزنیم و این کلمات را به فارسی بگییم، آن هم در سایتی که ۸۰% مطالبش به انگلیسی‌ نوشته میشه،

ولی‌ خوب بی‌ خیا ل،  اصولا گونده گوزی و خود بزرگ بینی‌ نزده ایرانی‌‌های قدیمی یه عادته دیرینه است.

شما که انقدر اصالا ت قدیمی‌ داری دیگه تا حالا باید فهمیده باشی‌، وقتی‌ ا دم کامنت منفی‌ میده بالأخره یکی‌ هم میاد جوابش را میده، به قوله شما ایرانی‌‌های قدیم: کسی‌ که خربزه میخوره پا لرزش هم می‌شینه.

از این حرفا گذشته ما هم با شما دعوا نداریم.

خیّر پیش.

Fair is fair (to Farrad02)

I read your comment. Okay you are right in many points. I was too sarcastic about him, but as you have guessed already "this was  a pointer to some under current or previous discussion"

About Namjoo being under pressured in Iran?

No, I don't think so!

Not after his apology letter to the IRI government (Khamenehee?).

Indeed, he was not  so much under the pressure by the government, even before publishing that letter!

Many of our true artists are really under pressure in Iran (much more than Mr Naamjoo who was merely singing some mild contesting songs) but they didn't use this as an excuse to flee Iran.

Again as you said, he is a free person and this is a free land. Everybody has the right to do what they want. But when this "everybody" is a public person, the public should have the right to express their critics about them, too.

لژیون خان شما دیگه چرا؟

شما دیگه چرا؟

شما که خودت هم سنّ و سال منی. نگو نه دیگه، اونوقت آبروت پیش دوستای ایرانیان دات کامیت میره.

از بیوگرافی آقای نامجو، همونطور که خاطر شریفتون هست، اینقدر تو این دو
ساله شما‌ها اینجا چیز نوشتین که ما نه تنها خفه شدیم، بلکه به آروغ زدن
افتادیم و نتیجه، همین گنده گوزی هایی شد که شما رو الان اینقدر کلافه کرده
که به فحش دادن افتادید.

در مورد فیوژن و کانسپت و ژندر هم، همونطور که فرمودید، ما با زبان شما بچه مثبت‌ها زیاد آشنائی نداریم.

موسیقی باید به دل‌ بنشینه، اگر ننشست که ننشست دیگه، با زور بیوگرافی و ژندر و فیوژن که نمیشه تو دل‌ مردم فروش کرد.

ما هم هیچ دعوأیی با این اقای نامجو و طرفداران مثبتش نداریم. اما اگه
ایندفعه خواستی یک ایرانی مسن و پیری مثل منو به راه راست موسیقی هدایت
بفرمایی، میتونی از کلماتی مثل:

تلفیق : به جای فیوژن

سبک: به جای ژندر

مفهوم: به جای کانسپت

استفاده کنی‌.

ما ایرانی‌های قدیمی‌ هنوز هم فارسی‌ صحبت می‌کنیم و هم فارسی‌  بهتر میفهمیم.

عزّت زیاد.

I don't like eveything Namjoo does, but please be fair!

I don't like eveything Namjoo does, and some of the fusion stuff is not my cup of tea either! Although I luike everything Hamed Nikpay has done! 

But honestly, Namjoo is one of the most original and talented contemporary musicians out of Iranand as was said earlier in another comment, he became popular in iran and had to leave Iran due to pressure from IRI regime and limitations on his work!

One has to see and hear more than one piece of his work to be able to judge him fairly. He is indeed talented!

But in general, I don't think it is very becoming or fair-minded to criticize him for his clothing or hair style (that is his choice; it's called freedom!)  

Also please don't make general sarcastic comments like "God Bless the one who taught him what he is doing"!! Everyone learns from someone before him.  Please make criticisms and comments that can be understood or addressed. What does that comment even mean?  Is that criticizm of his art or a pointer to some under current or previous discussion? Who is this person that Namjoo is supposed to have learned from? And if there is such a "specific" person, like a teacher or master that he took lessons from, has he ever disrespected or dismissed that person(s)?

Let's be fair and balanced in our critique.  Living in the land of the free for all these years, we can at least learn to critique art like a free minded person!

Souri: This was not my cup of tea either.

 So I called it "Original" to be fair on the guy and myself, as by no means I can call myself an expert on music! I meant no reflections on anybody's comments. 

oh, tell me about these "wanabe intellectual in diaspora" thing. But be careful, it is an infectious disease rampant at Iranian.com! 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

والا خاله ثری جان

والا خاله ثری جان

اولا که نامجو یه سنّ و سالی‌ ازش می‌گذره و اصلا شهرتش را در ایران به دست آورده و حالا چند سالی‌ هست که ایرانی‌‌های بیرون از کشور نامجو

نامجو کردن را یاد گرفتن و با موسیقی و کار ایشان آشنا شدن، حالا شما وقت کردی و اگر بلد بودی میتونی‌ بری یه جا بیوگرافی ایشان را پیدا کنی‌ بلکه

بتو نین یه کمی‌ با اطلاعات درست اظهاره نظر بفرمایید و شخصیت و دامان والای خود را با گنده گوزی و اظهاره نظر در مورد هنر واو هنرمنده امروزی

لکه دار نکنید.

دوما که،  اصلاً حق با شماست

با توجه به اینکه اصولاً نسلی که شما از آن می‌آیید آگاهی‌ و تجربه زیادی با انواع و ژندرا‌های موسیقی مدرن شرق و غرب را نداره و طبیعتا کانسپت

موسیقی فیوژن براش یه چیزه ناشناخته و بیگانه است، ما باید کامنت شما را بی‌ خیالی تی میکردیم و درک میکردیم که این موسیقی فیوژن و این حرفا

به درد شما نمیخوره چون گویا درک و میدان ادراکه نسل شما دمه دروازه مرحوم موسیقی ‌ها ییده و موسیقی دهه هفتاد ایران و نهیاتا موسیقی ایرانی‌ تهرنجلسی

ترمز زده.

حالا شما هم ناراحت نشو، امروز روزه تعطیله، یه سی‌دی آغاسی بذارین و سره سفره چلو کباب و پیاز جای ما بچه مثبت هارا هم به بزرگی‌ خودتون خالی‌ کنین.

به سلامتی‌.

Roozbeh

I have nothing against the guy. I just don't like his style, but this is a personal taste. What I am against is the non-sense hoopla about him from the very wannabe intellectual in Diaspora. You can have a look at the previous blogs in IC, about Namjoo:

//iranian.com/main/music/mohsen-namjoo

//iranian.com/main/2009/oct/mohsen-namjoo

I met Namjoo last year, He was very humble

I met "Namjoo" last year in a fund raiser for Iranian journalists. we talked for few minutes and I even told him that I write poetry. He seemed very humble and nice. Many of his songs are on my Ipod. Not that I like every single thing about his singing but overall, he is good.

thanks Souri jaan!

As much as you and I don't like each other, I like you(*)! Your comment made me laugh a lot after a long and exhausting week. Thanks!

(*) I know, it doesn't make sense!