Namjoo’s long anticipated show in San Francisco was nothing short of mesmerizing. He came on the stage, and unlike his reputation as being cocky and un-engaging, every thing about him was unpretentious and fresh.
In his razor sharp humor, he portrayed our pain and suffering, the confusion and apathy, and the ensuing result of complex mixed emotions. Namjoo’s lyrics, music, and avant garde performance was engulfing, the least to say. The range of his voice from beautiful and softly melodic to a high pitched roar of frustration to a deep throaty whisper is nothing seen before in the Iranian music, the only one that comes to mind close is maybe Tom Waits of the U.S. In his solo performance playing with and changing through four guitars & Setars, he amazed his audience with the mastery his fingers moved and the sounds produced. An American, who happens to be an avid Jazz affectionado, and a serious fan of Keith Jarrett, while totally unaware of the potential effect of his deeply penetrating lyrics, was quite moved by Namjoo’s music and declared him as simply “genius”.
After the show, during the VIP party, once again, Namjoo was all humble and engaging. He stood and later on sat patiently and signed CD after CD, and exchanged hugs with his fans. Words of due advice, do not miss his appearances if you are any where near his remaining performances.
Every one on the team of the Beyond Persia organizers had worked very hard and tirelessly to bring this great show into a reality on Saturday night. A very warm thank you to the entire team is extended.
Nasrin Sasanpour
