Dear Friends,
In September 2022, the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of morality police sparked an ongoing series of protests against the state's gender apartheid. The Islamic republic's violent crackdown on the protestors has escalated this movement into a full-blown uprising across the country and around the globe. In Iran, protests have been happening daily for the past 2.5 months. 16,813 people have been arrested, and 402 have been gunned down by the security forces, 58 of whom were minors. The Iranian people's revolution asks for FREEDOM and EQUALITY for all.
Kronos Quartet in rehearsal
This song was originally written by renowned Iranian musician Parviz Meshkatian, and speaks of unity among those enduring the same pain generated by injustice, discrimination, and violation of human rights globally. The piece was arranged by me and was performed by my dear friends and amazing artists at the grammy-winning Kronos Quartet, who are always there holding a flag against tyranny and dictatorship.
The singers featured in the piece are from Shiraz Choir and Ensemble, a community-based Persian-speaking choir based in San Francisco South Bay and conducted by my friend Amin Assadi. And the video was created by my friend and very talented artist, Nima Dehghani, and features images of young adults and children who unfortunately passed away during recent events in Iran. May this work be the bearer of hope and our love for the Iranian people. Thanks, Sahba