Fared Shafinury
To Freedom
Farhang Foundation presents
Fared Shafinury
an homage to
Shervin Hajipour’s Barâye
We welcome back artist Fared Shafinury performing his latest track
To Freedom
exclusively for Farhang Performances
FARID SHAFINURY
Composition/Vocals/Setâr
HAMOUN DOLATSHAHI
Director/Editor
NEAZ KOHANI
Choreography/Dance
GIONATAN TECLE
Director of Photography
DREW ALLEN WEAVER
Steady Camera
AAKASH RAJ
Colorist
TAIGE SHI, MAYA BASKIN
Camera Grip
JACQUELINE CHAN
Camera Assistant
SHAHRZAD PAKDAMAN
Set Designer
AMIRHOSSEIN DARAFSHEH
Caligraphy
Musicans
FARED SHAFINURY - Setâr
JADEN FERRELL - Piano
MATT BRYSON - Bass
JASON MCKENZIE - Drums
AMIR PIRIYANDEH - Guitar
ROBERTO RIGGIO - Violin/Viola
CHARLES PREWITT - Cello
About Fared Shafinury
Fared Shafinury is a widely celebrated & critically acclaimed singer/songwriter, composer, Persian setār virtuoso, and performing artist. Born on the Gulf of Mexico, Shafinury’s hyphenated cultural identity has propelled his music to the forefront of authenticity in bridging the musical gap between West and East.
His discography and live concert appearances both depict a trail of experimentation that’s rooted in a deep understanding of the classical Persian modalities, as well as his classical western upbringing. Shafinury’s latest concert tour, Microtone (which was abruptly halted due to the ongoing pandemic), explores the deeper roots within classical Persian music and how this cultural heritage is anchored into the natural world.
In recent years, Shafinury has embarked upon creating an online school of classical Persian music theory, known as the Radif Retreat Institute. Teaching to a wide array of students from all over the world, Shafinury’s bilingual and multi-cultural approach has helped unlock the many secrets of this elusive art form, helping many non-Iranians as well as dual-Persian identities, to connect and understand the ancient modal system in its current form.
FaredShafinury.com
Facebook: @Tehranosaurus
Instagram: @FaredShafinury
Apple Music: @fared-shafinury
Spotify
"Every so often there comes a time when our humanity is put to the test, and in order to pass this test we must be present. Today we no longer can afford to be absent. We no longer can afford to blame the past for our current affairs. We no longer can afford to shift our focus from today to yesterday, for when we do so, we have lost and continue to lose sight of our collective responsibility to our future, and our children’s future.
Today is that day, that our blame game must come to an end, for our humanity hangs in peril. Today is that day, that we each become responsible to fight this injustice in any shape or form possible. We must rise to this occasion and recognize this revolution for what it is – The first women's led revolution of the world, and Iran has been chosen as its battle ground.
The world recognizes that to empower the women of Iran today is to empower the women of the world, and by empowering women, we empower life, and life by nature is freedom.
We must continue to amplify this united voice of millions throughout Iran and the world - United in the brave spirit of Revolution. We must stand up and fight for all the victims of this murderous theocratic dictatorship that imprisons, tortures, and executes innocent people at will.
We remain steadfast and hopeful in this ongoing battle, and if you shall allow me to, as said by Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, “To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…”
I would like to dedicate this song, this dance, and this video to all the brave freedom fighters on the streets of Iran today."
- Fared Shafinury
