SAHAR AJDAMSANI – A Talented Iranian Artist

Sahar Ajdamsani is an Iranian singer, poet, lyricist, photographer & writer. She was born in 1996. She published 2 poetry book with name “ 5^th season of the earth” & “ I flew to the moon “. Sahar won international poetry & photography prizes & she known as an artist who invite people to peace, humanity & kindness with her arts & she also known as women rights & human rights activist artist.

1. Tell me more about your poetry book: where was it published and by whom? What kind of poetry does it contain (themes, number)? 

My first poetry book was titled “5^th season of Earth in Iran” and was published by an Iranian publication. It contained 86 poems, a poem that was not licensed and removed, and is currently printed with 85 poems. The theme of the poems is more social and many of these social poems are devoted to women’s rights.

As per the book, I want to say that must say that human beings must have humanity, and that morality and humanity are not detachable from humans, but we live in a period that unfortunately shows the unethical and inhumane behaviors of humans to each other, and that kindness and humanity are very pale. This is so strange and unusual that the fifth and new season has been added to the ground, which is neither spring nor summer, not fall and winter.

My 2^nd poetry book was titeld “ I flew to the moon “ published now by an Iranian publication & it contained 84 poem & the opening celebration of this book will be held on November. The theme of this poems is world peace, no to war, human rights, women rights, love, humanity & kindness.

2. You fight for the rights of women in your country using all your talents, music, photography, poetry. When did you decide is important to do that? Why are you doing that?

I write poetry from the age of eight and from the very beginning I became aware of the discrimination between men and women. Such things made me very sad and I tried to write them. As I grew older, I realized this inequality and oppression more often than a spousal child which has become so common in Iran as to be the most natural rights of women that were prohibited under community law.

In addition to being fan of music, I decided to fight for these and other inequities in order to uphold my rights, to the point where these struggles go beyond poetry, photography, writing and music, and show these injustices. I struggled in college at the time of being a university student for the girls who were misused by boys and the university only backed the boys. So I did my best to restore girls’ rights and punish those boys.

I am a warrior and wish peace and tranquility could be established in the world. I like everyone can freely engage in artistic work. I cannot tolerate injustice and keep silence. I am banned from doing a lot of artwork, like music that is prohibited for women in Iran and forbidden to do so, and every women singers are consider as criminal and offender in Iran. My poems and songs have been censured. Such things are not pleasant and, in fact, they are not logical at all and only a kind of patriarchy and bullying, and considering the secondary status foe woman.

I fight against these restrictions and prohibitions to bring these rights to all women in my land and pave the way for them, hence, women after me can easily follow their favorite arts.

3. How would you describe the situation in your country? What women can’t do? Why nothing change? Who is responsible of it?

Women are generally restricted compare to men, in the artistic activities in particular. For example, singing is forbidden for women in Iran under the Islamic law. Women do not have the right to be president and even in legal and marital law, the law gives the right to the man and not support women at all.

Our society is male-dominated and the law is also drafted against women and in support of men. If a woman or a girl is even raped or subjected to emotional, financial and sexual harassment, they will remain silent because the law and even the community consider them as criminal. The men, especially the famous actors, singers, etc., easily abuse their social status to misuse girls and women, and even nobody takes responsibility for these men’s corruption. Such conditions put a great sum of pain and stress on women.

4. How can you describe the position of woman in Iran?

Alright, as you know there are more inequality and oppression against women than men, and in third world countries, this oppression and inequality against women are seen more. I myself live in a third world country too where even the most obvious rights of women are ignored. Iran is a patriarchal country where women are not valued and have many limitations.

5.We heard a lot about Iranian Metal bands who are active outside their homeland, but what about the active Rock/Metal bands inside? And you had a documentary project about the Iranian Rock. Can you tell us about it?

Some music styles are forbidden in Iran like Metal, Hip-hop and some other Rock bands recently.

Reza Yazdani is the best rock star in Iran and has many fans and his work level is very professional and he is in a good position in the world.  The Iranian rock is Persian rock which is the western Soft rock which has been Iranilized. Due to the rules of internal permitted groups, they cannot present pure western rock and therefore they invented Persian rock. With respect to the rock, life, limitation I photographed rock and metal bands in Iran and also from life to training, concerts and etc through documents, and I wanted to show hardship, efforts and their dreams.

6. Can you describe to us the music concerts mood in Iran?

Male singers’ concerts are very nice and they are held in multi-thousand-person halls and are widely welcomed by public. However they encounter many limitations in their performances due to the rules too.

Regarding female singers, since singing is forbidden and prohibition for women, we may be allowed to hold concerts after much effort; concerts just for women. In a 200-person hall where my audience is only women, I’m not allowed to even take photos or film my own concerts. I have no right to advertise my concerts. I can only hold three concerts in a year only in the city of Tehran, the capital and these concerts are not much welcomed. Even most women are not aware there are concerts held for only women. It’s very painful. I desire I can hold concerts in big halls and present my performances like men do in my country.

7. Are you thinking of emigration ?

Yes, almost most Iranians think of immigrating because as you know Iran currently has a bad economic and social condition, and our society is in the transition period. But I don’t like to leave my country completely. I like to immigrate and learn more and do my artistic activities freely; and I like to commute to my country as well and do my previous activities. But my main home will be the country I immigrate and I’ll live there.

8. How can you describe the presence of the Iranian woman in the fields of Art and Music?

The Iranian women are very powerful. Despite the limitations, they’re never disappointed and continue working and you always observe the Iranian women’s successes.

 But it’s really hard to do activities. There are a lot of limitations and prohibitions; on the other hand there are stresses and concerns such as arrests and imprisonment and etc by the officials.

9.  Its so sad you can write only abroad and create in your country using pseudonims. How do you imagine your country in 10 years? Do you think something will change?

I hope that the situation will improve, but, given sociological, economic, cultural and political evidence, it does not seem to improve. Everything is getting worse right now, especially in the economic dimension, which has a lot of pressure on people, the price of everything is becoming more expensive every day and life has hardened in Iran.

10. How your photography exhibition finished in Greece? Tell us more about this event and your book presentation. Why there? How Greek people receive that? 

 I attended an international photography festival in Greece, and I was the only Iranian winner of this festival with a photo called Release. And the winning photos were displayed in Athens for two weeks and the event was welcomed warmly by Greek people.

11. Tell me about your poetry prize?

I’m first Iranian to be able won WILD sound (festival for poetry) in New York of US in April 2019 with my poem “ Censorship”. This poem about women rights.

12. Who organise it, when and where exactly the presentation was held?

 Blank Wall gallery in Athense of Greece, 14-1 January

13. Who is the author of the pictures? Photography is also your passion. Where did you study it? 

I am the author of the picture. I don’t study photography. I study archaeology but I learn photography with myself with my look.

14. Who do you feel? How do you describe you in some words as a woman and professionist?

 I am very saddened by the fact that I cannot accomplish the artistic activities that I love and I wish one day I could freely go to these arts.

Singing was allowed for women in Iran before the Islamic Revolution, and we had great female singers who, after the Islamic revolution, had to leave the country to continue their activities, but after the Islamic Revolution, which prohibits singing under Islamic law for women. Women were deprived of singing.

Women who want to sing in Iran must go abroad before being arrested and banned from traveling abroad and will be forbidden to go to Iran forever. And these issues are very uncomfortable and painful.

 I hope that one day, I can work freely, sing, and hold a concert.

15. What is your next project? 

My English poetry book “ Censorship” will published soon in US by an American publisher. This is a poetry-photo book, every poem has a photo related to it & I’m honored to have photos of some globally photographers in this book.

I am currently doing my own music album in the name of “ Dreamy World” in the style of declamation (because singing for women is forbidden, and they can only declamation). The melody of every poem composed by a composer of a country & 12 countries collaborated in this album, and the reason for this is to show peace and also all of the world want peace.

I had also the honor to collaborate with composer from Greece in my album.

About this album, I hope that it will be financially and spiritually support, because at the moment I was only financing it myself, and it is very difficult for an independent artist.

Two of its poems have been published and we create music video for each song. And  I invited for the Athens poetry Festival of Greece in November and the Parma Music Festival of Italy  in October, for performed this poems & declamation & I will performed in France at December & Praha film festival at the end of January.

I also have already photographed a documentary photography project from Iran’s rockers, because rock music in Iran is subject to many restrictions and restrictions, even for men. But I’ve also started several projects. I Iran the phenomena of “child spouses” is very common. Unfortunately girls aged 11 or older marry men who are older than them, and this is a very painful problem.

In the end, I would like to thank you and your good audience for this interview and I ask the audience to support the album “dreamy world” that will soon be released.

16. What is the message you want to give to the women that are in the same social conditions?

They will never succumb to their rights and achieve their wishes, and fight for them as long as they are alive, and undoubtedly, if there are more fighter women, we will achieve equality and freedom.

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