Baraye

I oftentimes stress the ability to connect with audiences as the most important component of an effective communications strategy. If an audience feels the vibe, they can act on it as it becomes part of their emotional makeup. 

One of the most effective ways to connect with an audience is music and song; a memorable melody combined with the strength of a good lyric and a soulful delivery can move people.

We have experienced this in our personal reactions to songs, some of which can move us to joy or to tears.

Songs can also motivate us to reflect on or even to change our views.

In the 1970’s, George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh raised global awareness to the needs in that country as it fought for its independence from Pakistan. In the 1980’s, English and Spanish artists combined to produce a number of songs and held a massive world-wide concert to raise global consciousness regarding the massive famine affecting tens of millions in East Africa.

These initiatives were vital tools connecting with and motivating global audiences to take action and to pressure governments to act. 

This year, the organizers of the Grammy awards (the highest accolade musicians and singers can achieve in the United States) decided to include for the first time a yearly Special Merit Award for Best Song for Social Change. 

In my view, this award has been long in coming given the massive social changes brought about by music and song. In the 1930’s and 40’s we say artists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger sing with songs about the impact of the great depression. In the 1960’s came songs by Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and others about human rights and racial equality. 

This year, the Grammys finally recognized the impact of music on social change and awarded the first such prize to Iranian composer and singer Shervin Hajipour. The song, Baraye (here is the video with English subtitles), a haunting melody with poignant lyrics, speaks to the immeasurable cruelty of the Iranian regime towards those protesting in favor of women’s rights, freedom of expression, and democracy. It is also being played by such mainstream artists like Coldplay with Golshifte Harahani and Rana Mansour in English. The global reach of the song has been phenomenal – a tribute to the benefits of today’s social media and the global reach through streaming of such programs as The Voice and “America’s (or another country) has Talent”.

Inspired by the murder of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police, the song has become the protest movement’s national and international anthem. The word “baraye” translates as “because of” or “for”. Hajipour told Time magazine that he wrote the song based on tweets by young Iranians. Lyrics like “for dancing in the streets, for the fear we feel when we kiss” fill the song with the hope of Iranians for fundamental change and the right to live normal lives. The song ends with the motivating slogan of today’s Iranian revolution, “jin-jyan-azadi” – woman, life, and freedom.

Hajipour composed the tune and wrote the song, recorded it in his own home, and posted his self-made video on Instagram. The song went viral almost immediately when it was released last September.  According to Farnaz Fassihi of The New York Times, Hajipour was a relatively unknown young pop singer who had been eliminated in the final round of Iran’s version of “American Idol.” 

He was arrested by the intelligence ministry shortly after his song generated some 40 million views on Instagram in 48 hours (almost 87 million people live in Iran). He is currently out on bail and awaiting trial, and has made only one short video message since his release.

“I wrote this song in solidarity with the people who are critical of the situation like many of our artists who reacted,” said Hajipour in the video message, in early October.

U.S. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden introduced him at the Grammys, noting that “a song can unite, inspire and ultimately change the world. Baraye is a powerful and poetic call that continues to resonate across the world”.

Songs resonate, and songs with special meaning resonate with all of us who seek a better world. This “cri du coeur” by Hajipour reflects the desire of most Iranians to see the back of the religious dictatorship and create a government and a society that respects individual human rights and fundamental freedoms.

He has given Iran, and Persians everywhere, an anthem. He has given us all a brilliant example of hope. Inch Allah, His melding of the ancient art of songwriting with today’s cutting edge technology will make an impact and result in the change that we all seek in Iran. 

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Edición: Laura Espejo