Street Musicians in Tehran

By Zohreh Keshavarz, citizen journalist

For the past few years, street musicians have been in vogue on the sidewalks of Tehran. Anybody who can play an instrument brings it to a corner and plays music for passers-by. There are always more of them during the waning days of winter and as March gets underway. More musicians on the street are a sign that spring and the Iranian new year are just around the corner.

Nowadays you can find them playing on every corner in the city. Some sit in one place, while others wander through alleys, streets and neighborhoods, filling them with the sounds of their music.

Street musicians are a rather new phenomenon in the streets of the Iranian capital. Until about ten years ago, they were rarely seen. Little by little they appeared, and their numbers grew, helped by people who reward them with a small amount of change.

The musicians play almost any instrument that can be easily carried. Young musicians play guitar, a dulcimer-like Iranian instrument called a santour, the violin, accordion and sitar. Groups of people from the provinces entertain the residents of the capital with their folk songs and native instruments.

In some parts of Tehran, especially in the affluent northern neighborhoods, one can come across professional musicians playing the trumpet, electric guitar, saxophone, flute and other Western instruments.

Some sing as well as play music; others just play instrumentals. Some play solo, while others form small bands. Those who play alone usually carry a guitar, sitar, violin and santour. Those who play together usually include one person who plays a drum-like or percussion instrument.

Musicians who play guitar or sitar usually sit, because the nature of their instruments demand it. Others, playing the accordion, violin or wind instruments, walk around, playing their music in a variety of different locations.

The custom of paying street musicians is now rather well established, but some still regard street musicians as beggars. One violin player told me that this was the hardest part of the job.

“Most people look favorably on us and encourage us,” says the musician, who comes from the northern city of Gorgan to make a living in Tehran. “They give us as much as much they can afford. But some people react to us as though we are beggars.”

“There are some really professional musicians among those who play in the streets,” says another musician, who plays guitar along with a friend. “We are music students at the university and plan to form a band. We want to make money by showcasing our art and the only way to do it at the moment is to play on the streets. Fortunately, we make enough money for our daily needs and we are content.”