What is protest music? Most would think of rebel songs highlighting some form of injustice and oppression.
But as Godspeed! You Black Emperor have demonstrated, instrumental music can be just as powerful means of expressing of defiant resistance and rage.
This is further demonstrated by Iranian composer Saba Alizadeh’s remarkable third album.
Actions can speak louder than words.
‘Temple Of Hope’ is dedicated to the artist's homeland and the people of Iran who continue to struggle and fight against the fearsome might of the militarised Islamic dictatorship. The compulsory wearing of the hijab is a continuing symbol of this misogynistic regime.
To mark the album’s release, Saba Alizabeh asks How can a sense of beauty be found amidst fear and cruelty? He attempts to answer this question by letting his powerful music do the speaking for him.
Alizadeh plays a Kamancheh, a traditional bowed string instrument which is played like a cello, He combines this with more contemporary sounds and effects using a modular synth.
The result is an atmospheric form of electro-acoustic ambience. Even without being aware of the feelings and motivations behind the record, listeners can’t fail to be struck by the beauty and intensity of the music.
Four of the eleven tracks feature singers but there is no sloganizing and minimal lyrical content. On Women of Fire the vocals by Sanam Maroufkhani are wordless; in Extra Planetary Lovers, one of two sung by Andreas Spechtl, the simple English words are fuelled by romance rather than revolution.
The most provocative title on the album is To Become A Martyr, One Has To Be Murdered. This is inspired by the death of a 17 year-old woman Nika Shahkarami. Her murder at the hands of the authorities,like the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, has only served to stoke the momentum behind the "Woman Life Freedom" protests.
In this track, stirring Steve Reich-style beats build in power and urgency towards a furious climax. Of the eye-catching title Alizadeh comments: "Martyrs are revered as heroes. But murder is not a sacred act and should not be romanticized. Yet without one, the other does not exist."
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A related track entitled Drop By Drop An Ocean Of Blood Forms is dedicated to the mothers who have lost their children in the resistance.
In Plain Of The Free an evocative melody combines with a chorus of chants which grow louder and louder. The cries are demands for the right to water made during the "Uprising of the Thirsty" in the city of Susangerd in 2021. By the end of the track the people’s voices are all we hear.
A similar effect is deployed to chilling effect in the final piece: You Tell Me.... This is based on the last phone call made by a 27 year-old Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari who was executed for his part in the freedom protests. Afkari’s spoken voice is at first distorted but, as the piece progresses, it becomes increasingly clear.
The album title is a statement of courage and optimism. The bravery of the new Generation Z give cause for hope that the barbaric theocracy in Iran will one day be defeated.
The powerful 2023 documentary directed by Claire Billet (Woman, Life. Freedom: An Iranian Revolt) ensures that the message is gaining worldwide attention and is also helped by the global success of Mohammad Rasoulof’s powerful film ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’.
Saba Alizadeh's can be added to these 'voices'. His multi-layered pieces may be inspired by horrific oppression but the beauty of the music fires the conviction that a brighter future is possible.
Temple of Hope at Bandcamp
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