The Austrian ICAS network member Musikprotokoll invited the 25year old Iranian musican Sohrab to play the ICAS SUITE on Thursday 8th September at West Germany.
In late 2010 Sohrab left the Iran and since stays in Berlin. He is currently stateless and applied for political asylum in Germany. He participated in the demonstrations against the Iranian regime in 2009, was arrested twice and had to fear further prosecution. He was not allowed to publicly present his music and generally suffered under the climate of suppression and censorship. The move to Berlin also arose from the need to excape the artistic isolation he found himself in while in Iran.
In Iran, 70% of the population is under 30 years old, and this explosive social mix is causing trouble. Sohrab performed one illegal gig, which was broken up by the police. He then took to performing alone in a desert or other place of wilderness, and made contact with Mike Harding of Touch via the Internet and sent out various sound files. These files were assembled to form his first album, released on Touch, A Hidden Place, which reflects his inner cultural isolation and the current situation in Iran.
Artists like JG Thirlwell, Achim Mohné, Jóhann Jóhannsson or Leif Elggren have produced remixes of Sohrab's pieces and released via Touch to express their solidarity. The revenues from these tracks and of Sohrab's Shouting at Dictators release go into an appeal-fund set-up by Touch, to pay for a lawyer to help with his appeal against the ruling to refuse him asylum. If he fails, it is probable that Sohrab will be flown back to Iran and arrested at Tehran Airport.
› touchmusic.org.uk/sohrab
Susanna Niedermayr, co-curator of Musikprotokoll and a journalist for radio ORF 1 Zeitton, has just broadcasted an in-depth interview with Sohrab, that introduces into his music and explains his motives and situation (German). The interview can be heard online for the next 7 day only.
› Sohrab interview and feature on ORF 1 Zeitton
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