Gordafarid
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"I became brave and knew that I was on the right road. All through my way, I have seen deev (demon), dad (savages) ahriman (devil), and fereshteh (angel). I have learned to not stay in one spot, to push ahead and explore new things, new experiences."
I asked Gordafarid whether she had experienced discrimination in her career and in Iran. I wanted to know how people took to her as a woman in this field.
"I traveled on my small budget and found the morsheds everywhere. Those men died later and I was the only one, the last one to have talked to them about their art. I didn't have the resources to record their voices and their presentations. Then I learned to start collecting and making a small archive of naqqali performances of some Iranian masters."
She said: "I was scattered, too. I had to deal with the chaos, too. Lots of experiences, many disappointments and many successes both culturally and artistically. I was a student and I was attracted to this work."
"I have always taught my trade. I keep hoping to find someone who has the essence it takes to do this work. Some people come with me part of the way, but not beyond certain points sometimes. I have trained a lot of people. Several of them are working and earning a living this way, but none are the stars I'm looking for yet."
I asked Gordafarid how she knew this was her calling. After all, this seems like such an unlikely change of career for a young art student, to step away from her comfort zone and into the unknown and at times rough world of naqqali in traditional coffee shops, where the clientele is almost 100% male.
For the past several years, Gordafarid has made it one of her disciplined efforts to teach young male and female Iranians about Shahnameh and naqqali. She teaches at Tehran University and at the Fine Arts University, as well tens of workshops and independent classes throughout the year. Her search for true stars continues, but she won't give up.
"Our traditional arts also have a moral and spiritual requirement. You will have to be patient to learn and to be trusted. In the eastern culture, being a moreed (devoted student) is important. Just memorizing Shahnameh is not what naqqali is all about."
"Teaching has never had any money for me. I never took any money from my private students. The most important thing in my relationship with my students is to determine whether they are rah’ro (followers), and if they are, I will teach them anyting I know, everything I know."
"Morsheds finally gave me their assa (cane, blessing) for having completed my apprenticepship. They don't give this blessing easily, because they themselves found it the hard way. If they relay what they know to their students too easily, their students will not work hard anymore."
She had to follow the living masters all over Iran, and to prove to them that she had what it took to become a naqqal. She had to fight doubts and distrusts. She had to pay her dues with hard work.
Habibizad talks realistically about what she had to do to learn from Iran's best naqqali masters. She says it isn't like there is a clear system set up to teach apprentices and train new naqqals. For centuries, most morshed's (master naqqals) have taught their male children or a noor cheshmi (a chosen one) about their art.
"There is no pinnacle; it is just a road you have to follow. These days I am on a journey to within, seir-e daroon."
"The next Quest is from inside. You will get to meet deevs and angels, but you are not Rostam yet. As life goes on, the deevs get bigger. It is a game, life is all a game. You enter the game. Others enter the game, also. It is a tough game, but it's also just a game, don't take it seriously! You may win, you may lose, or you and your opponents may all win, or all may lose. You have to be true, a javanmard."
Describing her journey through life and how she has managed her very challenging career she says: "Sometimes deevs show up and sometimes little angels. I think my own life has closely resembled Rostam's Seven Quests (haft khaan-e Rostam). On the first few quests, you are involved with daily life, money, politics, family, and everyday things. Sometimes you face negative events and bad feelings. You will have to face social, religious, cultural, and family issues, mostly external quests."
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