Seems like we always need a new thing to be “like” something else before we can understand it. “…tastes like chicken”, “…it’s just like riding a bicycle”..
When I’m describing Mohsen Namjoo’s music and I’m asked: “ what is it like?” I say: “There’s nothing like it.”
His concert in Disney Hall of Los Angeles was another wonderful night filLed with beautiful tunes and he even treated the audience to a new song. Among many unique qualities to his music and presence, he always opens the show alone and then welcomes his band members to the stage. I have never seen any artist do that. He was accompanied by a choir of four women and eight musicians playing piano, keyboard, guitars, percussions, bass, drums, and accordion. Most of whom, are established and talented musicians on the their own, “delighted to perform with Namjoo”.
I wish people would stop comparing him to Bob Dylan. As much as I love and enjoy Bob’s music I do not find this a fair comparison.
To start with, Namjoo has a great voice that poor Bob could only sound like in his dreams. Also, Bob followed a musical path that Woody Guthrie had paved before his death in 1931, and then entered Woodstock’s highway to fame.
Namjoo has created his own style of music against all odds. He learned different styles of music, before fusing them in to what he presents to us today. I think of him more as Picasso of Iranian music as he is an artist who learned the rules before breaking them.
To me, the only commonality between the two men are their big noses and their viz-vizzy hair!
Yours truly,
A Namjoo Head,
(you know, “like” a Dead Head)
