Saturday, August 2, 2008

Chris De Burgh to play in Iran in November

Singer Chris de Burgh will stage a concert in Tehran with an Iranian band in late November, the first such concert in the country in nearly 30 years, an Iranian satellite news channel reported on its website.

De Burgh, who has a loyal following in Iran, visited for the first time in May, and said he hoped the authorities would give him permission to perform.

The Irish-born singer [Spyder's note: incorrect, he was born in Argentina] will perform with Iranian band Arian.

"The concert is scheduled to be held in the last week of November at Azadi Indoor Stadium in Tehran which seats 12,000 people," said Majid Roqani, the head of public relations at Taraneh Sharqi Cultural and Artistic Company.

Roqani was quoted by the website of Press TV, Iran's state- owned English-language satellite channel.

The concert will be the first time since the 1979 revolution that an Iranian pop band played alongside a Western singer inside the Islamic Republic.

Western pop songs with lyrics are banned by Iran's authorities although state radio sometimes plays instrumental versions. Iranian pop bands say their lyrics and tunes are vetted before they can be officially sold in Iran.

Pirated versions of the latest Western albums or songs by underground Iranian groups are available on the black market.

Arian and de Burgh recorded a song called "A Light for Eternity." That song was played at the cultural center where De Burgh held a news conference in the Iranian capital in May.

[Washington Post]

Chris De Burgh, the son of a British diplomat, was born in Argentina in 1948. Travelling extensively as a child, De Burgh moved to Emerald Isle, Ireland when he was 12. His biggest hit was the 1986 song Lady In Red that scored a No. 1 chart position in the UK and No. 3 in the US.

For some thoughts and discussion on why De Burgh might be so popular in Iran, check out Free Thoughts on Iran


Chris De Burgh and Arian Band - "The Words 'I Love You'"
Picked from album "Bi To, Ba To" (Arian IV). The original song and music "The Words 'I Love You'" from album "The Road To Freedom" by Chris De Burgh
year released 2004





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