DIRITTI E LIBERTÀ NELLA MUSICA RIVOLUZIONARIA IRANIANA

Over the past century, Iran’s revolutionary history has been accompanied by a rich tradition of revolutionary songs whose nature and content have, predictably, evolved over time. During the 1979 Revolution, such songs intertwined the struggle against the Shah with religious slogans – most famously exemplified by the solemn march Ey šahid. However, with the emergence of the 2009 Green Movement and - later - the Zan, Zendeghi, Āzādi (“Woman, Life, Freedom”) protests, a notable shift occurred. The lyrics of these more recent songs are largely secular, reflecting opposition to the country’s religious leadership. Musical styles have also diversified, ranging from a cappella chants to rap, as well as reinterpretations of iconic revolutionary anthems such as Bella Ciao and El Pueblo Unido, reimagined with new lyrics and adapted to the Iranian context. Similarly, songs from the 1979 Revolution have been rewritten, sometimes with only minimal changes in wording, such as replacing “the army” with “the basiǧi”, or “Islamic republic” with “Iranian republic”. Themes of freedom, rights, and the bloodshed in their pursuit form the core of many of these songs, while others serve as powerful condemnations of the violence perpetrated by the Islamic regime