JTMP Interviews Shamim In DC Music Studio

TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH BELOW

JTMP interviewed world renowned Iranian singer Shamim during her recent visit to Washington, DC to support the calls for democracy in Iran. Shamim was in the studio working on a song about the recent crackdown in Iran, and she sang her powerful song, "Don't Cry Iran."

Iranian-American Youth worked closely with Justice Through Music to make this historical event happen.

TRANSLATION:

Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: My name is Shamim. I'm here today to be alongside the people, this movement in Iran. To tell the people that we see them and hear them and we are trying to be their voices.

Q: You just recorded 'Iran Don't Cry'. Can you tell us a little about this song?
A: This song is called Iran Dont Cry. I wrote it 3 weeks ago. My feeling has always been that our people, our good compatriots in Iran, they thing that we've left them and we dont care and that its not important for us whats going on in Iran. And they've told me many times, that you guys are sitting there and just telling us what we should do...opposition outside the country cant do anything. And they are prefectly right. Everyone has heard Iran's voice now, and its only the people of Iran who can make the decisions. But with this song, I just wanted to say, that as an Iranian, my heart goes out to my homeland, and I wish i was standing next to my friends and I was fighting alongside them against the oppression and injustice inside our country right now. But unfortunately, I can only express my feelings through my writing and voice. And i hope they know [our compatriots in Iran] that there are so many Iranians outside Iran that miss you and wish they could be with you, and they both see you and hear you.

Q: You have a song called 'Confusion of Colors'. Can you tell us a little about this song?
A: This song was written about 3 weeks ago for the protests that have taken place for years against the Islamic Republic. There is always some sort of fight over flags and signs. I thought it was about time that something was written to tell our friends and compatriots that our people in Iran are being shot with bullets and are dying. There is a time and place to focus on colors and ideologies, but today is the day for unity.

Q: What message do you have for Iran?
A: For Iran, my message is to be united. To hold our hands together regardless of our beliefs on color and ideology...because our home [Iran] is on fire and is being demolished. Its rebuilding requires us to hold our hands together in unity.

Q: Ive heard many of your performances myself, and people really seemed to like your songs. Do you think people in Iran feel the same?
A: Because of the suppression and many filters, the people don't have full access to the Internet. But I've received many phone calls and messages where people have told me that they like my songs and they say, finally, there is someone who is expressing my feelings and is brave enough to voice what we want. And its interesting, they say: its not just you guys who are fighting about colors. This issue is here [in Iran] too.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Velvet
• Revolution
• JTMP
• justice
• Iran
• election
• vr.us
• shamim
• music
• interview
• Persian
• Farsi
• Iranian-American
• Youth
• green

[parshoko]

I am proud of you , yek muye gandideye in ro nemidam be sadta sakine , zahra , zeynab ve khadijeh ,,,,,,,,,,,,."DAR IRANE AZADE FARDA HAME JAAY DARAND" YAAD BEGIREEM AGAR DOOST NADAREEM GOOSH NAKONIM VA HARFE MOFT HAM NAZANIM.

[sinanaz1]

she is a real JERK...get lost ..no place for people like u..in IRAN....ur look shows WHO ARE ......u have even INSULT ED GOD...with ur disgusting song....YUCK......

go..go...go...

[Agaahi]

@ButtLoover به ریخت چکار داری هنرش را ببین

[Titan92060]

@ButtLoover

hamin fagaht jende kanun,

age in jende hast,pass Fatme sahra wo kadije chee hastan,inha ba kosaschun kafe samina ro tamis mikardan.

[shaliz20]

Iranian people are ashamed to have someone like you. we don't need your songs and you support anywhere. get lost!

[sherryjavadian]

har rikhti daravorde be khodesh marbote @ButtLoover 

[shahinpar]

@Ardashir2008 "Relegion is the worst thing for mankind, it is brainwashing people and paralyze their brains " how you can be so judgemental to come up with such fiery FATWAS?! problem is not few people in power! the country needs SOCIAL work rather than POLYTICS. those F words are not persian art, they are a rude/dirty cultural cancer!

[ButtLoover]

این چه ریخت گوهیه که تو واسه خودت درآورده جنده خانم؟؟؟

[Ardashir2008]

Shamim's songs are helping us to fight the dictatorship which is enslaving Iranian people. If you Bahais don't want to fight the evil the tyranny then I'm affraid to tell you something is wrong with you. If you see a house in fire and their are kids in then you still watcher and say I don't blieve in political activity??? Relegion is the worst thing for mankind, it is brainwashing people and paralyze their brains

[shahinpar]

my friend, I meant the mental health of the society. the true Art , specially the Iranian art, comes from the heart. attaching it to polytics might damage its purity since no polytical view is pure and perfect, they all have kind of bias!