The voice of Iran

Mohammad Reza Shajarian was born 1940 in Mashhad in the north eastern part of Iran. His voice is one of the most impressive and spiritual in the world today, and he was honoured with UNESCO's Picasso Award 1999. Shajarian covers almost 800 years of Persian history performing lyrics by the famous poets Rumi, Sadi and Hafez from 13th century, but also by poets of our own time. In classical Iranian song the singer creates improvised ornaments, so that the beauty of the song is determined by the sensitivity and mood of the singer. In his deeply rooted spirituality Shajarian combines the ancient tradition with the unique inspiration of the moment.