Singer who faces prison in Iran wins a Grammy for protest song Baraye
Baraye literally translates to "For" or "Because of" and was released in September 2022. Photo: dailyO
The Grammy 2023 will always be known for honouring someone who really deserves it. No, we are not talking about Beyonce. We are talking about the Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour, who may soon face jail because of his song.
Shervin's song Baraye, was given the award for Best Song for Social Change, the first of its kind launched by the Grammy this year. He was awarded by Jill Biden, and she said: "This song became the anthem of the Mahsa Amini protests, a powerful and poetic poem for freedom and women's rights".
Amazing video showing @HajipourShervin watching #Grammys2023 the moment he won! #MahsaAmini #WomanLifeFreedom pic.twitter.com/ajtONDkiyl
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) February 6, 2023
Iran started its protest last year in September 2022, after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for 'not wearing her Hijab properly' by the 'morality police' of the country. She died under their custody, with bruises all over her body. Her death then lead to massive protests against the infamous Iranian regime which has suppressed women's rights.
Why Shervin's song got a Grammy? In the country where people are now jailed, executed and shot for raising slogans, Shervin's song became the voice which resonates with the protest's official slogan 'Jin Jiyan Azadi' ( Woman, Life, Freedom). Baraye literally translates to "For" or "Because of" and was released in September 2022.
It also received huge recognition with many famous artists like Coldplay and Jon Batiste covering the song, as a way to lend solidarity to the Iranian citizens. Every verse in the song is beautifully strung together, with every line perfectly describing the deteriorating condition of Iran. Here are some lines from the translated version of the song:
He reiterates Iran's situation and how severe the censorship is in the opening few sentences of his ballad:
To dance in the street
To be afraid when kissing
For my sister, your sister, our sisters
To change the rotting brains
For shame, for lack of money
He ends the song with a request, a request for freedom:
To miss an ordinary life
For the garbage child and his dreams
For this command economy
For this polluted air
For Waliasr and worn trees
For victory and the possibility of its extinction
For man, country, settlement
For the girl who wished it was a boy
For women, life, freedom
for freedom
for freedom
for freedom.
Listen to the full song for yourself:
Shervin can still be jailed? The song, after its release, went viral with more than 44 million views on Shervin's Instagram. But Shervin was arrested by the regime's agents just two days after he released his song and the song was removed from his page.
He was released on bail in October after he published a forced confession and an apology on his Instagram page. His case is still going through the 'legal' process, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
After winning the Grammy, Hajipour wrote on his Instagram: "We won."He received praise from all across the world.
Check out some reactions:
Iranian pop singer Shervin Hajipour is 25-year-old. He participated in the 2019 season of New Era, Iran's equivalent of Indian Idol, but lost in the final round.