Author Archives: sixpillarstopersia

Six Pillars – Sound Art and Tescos

Shervin Shaeri, aka Mutant Jukebox, was a student who engineered at Resonancefm. Now he is a sound artist with his own sound design company, a major string of affiliations with a show-reel to match.

His experiences coming to UK in the 90’s throws another small light on the Six Pillars map of the Iranian diaspora. Defying convention and embracing logic, he was singled out at school for using a spoon to eat his rice with and after a childhood spent in an impoverished country, his account of his first Tescos experience makes for great listening. At a time when the UK caters for Asian (Indian) culture above others, especially in the media, MutantJ has ridden the brown tiger and had his tracks played on BBC Asian Network.

Sote's DastgaahAlso, out of love we play more of Sote’s Dastgaah, and Mastom by Roshi.

This programme was recorded at Resonancefm studios, London. It was engineered and presented by Fari Bradley on 22nd October 2007. Six Pillars to Persia is on Resonancefm Mondays at 1.30pm

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Six Pillars: Ska of Iran & Collected Memories

The third show of this series looks at Iran’s modern art scene. The newly imported “Collected Memories” exhibition consisted of 140 pieces of work, of which more than half sold in the first week. Curator Morad Saghafi narrates many of the pictures’ main themes that tell much about current Iranian inner realities, as they look about the west London gallery Artspace.

Also featuring the track ‘Ska of Iran’ by The Planet Smashers, a Canadian ska band.

This show was recorded live in the Resonancefm studios on 15.10.07 It was produced and presented by Fari Bradley.

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Six Pillars: Sanskrit, Sote and Themes of a Sexual Nature

Poetess Dorna, an Iranian born in Russia raised in Sweden is this week’s guest. Dorna discusses communist parenting, Iran as a gay mecca and reads samples of her sensual yet steely poetry. Host Fari Bradley lists English words that come directly from Avestan (the Persian equivalent of Sanskrit) with music from Tehran-based sound artist Sote and an Irani band that sing in Sanskrit. The last two tracks are reworkings of Iranian folk songs by Welsh-Iranian musician Roshi.

Iranian Poetess Dorna

This programme was recorded in the Resonancefm studio on October 15th 2007 as part of the Six Pillars to Persia series, Mondays 1.30pm. It was produced, presented and engineered by Fari Bradley.

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Six Pillars: Behzad Bolour, The Lucifer Effect & Shug Monkey

Behzad Bolour, the most unlikely BBC World Service presenter you could imagine (photo for proof) bombarded the ResonanceFM studios with an infectious effulgence.  In advance of the London ‘Rumi Rap’ concert that he helped organise, Behzad discusses his work and ethics.

ALSO: Shugmonkey, who designed the Six Pillars to Persia flyer, has produced a unique track especially for the show using a left-handed Saz and a mini-saz. Check out Shug’s vocals as featured on TransGlobal Underground’s new album MOONSHOUT.

Behzad discusses with presenter Fari Bradley everything from Iranian mountains to man’s simian beginnings. BBC World Service is known for it’s dry, matter-of-fact style. What a surprise then to meet a senior producer at Persian World Service who thinks nothing of about being photographed in a pink mini skirt, falling his knees during a televised broadcast or posting pictures of himself squatting over a bucket shower on his BBC-hosted blog. It is due to this unusual approach to TV and radio that he is the black sheep of the Persian world service. At the same time he is a life-line for many young Iranians, dispersed all over the world looking for a meaningful forum for their interests.  He often visits Dubai or Iran highlighting a variety of young people’s work, from rappers to film stars.

It is strange for us, in this climate of media trepidation as regards discussing Iran, to meet someone so freely spoken and happily in defiance of this prevailing attitude. Behzad says he thinks of god as a little child, which we take to mean that innocence and joy are divine characteristics (this is our interpretation, taken from Sri Ganesha, the eternal child god in Hindusim). He impresses on us his view that the days of a stern old man, waiting to punish us is outdated as an image of authority. It is the youth who will teach us, and we’re happy to hear it!

Also in this episode, Steve Kaszcinsky reports on Reza Aramesh’s contribution to an exhibition curated by Gordon Cheung: ‘The Lucifer Effect’. Reza is a former Six Pillars guest, back in 2005.

This show is the third in the second series of Six Pillars to Persia on Resonance 104.4FM and was recorded on October 1st 2007 at the ResonanceFM studios.  It was produced, engineered and presented by Fari Bradley.

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