Mehdi Rajabian

Cultures of Resistance Awardee — Iran

Mehdi Rajabian is a composer, arranger and music producer who spent three years in prison for producing music and supporting banned artists. In 2007, he founded the Barg Company to produce and support independent music, including from artists banned in Iran. His company reached more than two hundred thousand views. He has been arrested for his work with this company and also for making an album titled The History of Iran Narrated By Setar, which criticized the Iran-Iraq war.

Since his release from prison, he has collaborated with the great orchestra of Brazil, and a number of musicians from Argentina, Austria, India, America, Turkey, through the Internet, on the album “Coup of Gods”. Currently, Mehdi Rajabian is completely banned in Iran and his artworks are not allowed to be published in Iran. His struggles and artworks have been featured in Billboard, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Financial Times, Times Magazine, Forbes, Fox News, BBC, etc.

Rajabian received a Cultures of Resistance Award (CoR Award) in 2022.

Follow him on Instagram here to learn more about his work.

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