HAM BABEI - 6_8

6/8 (Shish o Hasht)

after iran’s 1979 islamic revolution any activity linked to independent music, previously an integral part of the art scene, was abruptly banned. underground art emerged to ensure the survival of music. gradually a lifestyle, an intellectual atmosphere and a distinct art scene formed that coincided with public anxieties stemming from the iran iraq war. in these circumstances music did not only protest political suffocation. it built a sanctuary for survival and struggle against the ideological regime through its 6/8 rhythm.

the endurance of this music among the masses came from the joy and euphoria of the 6/8 rhythm, which in iranian music has exceptional liveliness and is interwoven with celebration and dance. today nearly five decades after independent music was first banned in iran, ham babaei (born 1983), shaped by the underground art scene, stands as a clear example of collective artistic resistance by artists who rejected oppression and built their own path. he learned guitar at a time when carrying an instrument in the streets was forbidden, in qom, the country’s most religious city, and has since turned it into a tool for crafting soundscapes drawn from the collective memories of his generation. ham uses sound as a contemporary abstract language to present his ideas on a universal scale.

akram ahmadi tavana