Rangarang: Pre– Revolutionary Iranian Pop

Travelling amongst Balkan musicians I would often ask what their influences were. More often than not, at the top of the list was “Iranian”. This surprised me; the Islamic Republic did not encourage music making. The music mentioned turned out to be that made in Iran when the Shah ruled and all things Western were welcomed. The undoubted superstar of this era was a diva known as Googoosh (who is Gypsy queen Esma Redžepova's favourite singer). Now based in the US, Googoosh has a fiercely loyal Iranian exile following. But what of her fellow musicians from the era when Iranians synthesized influences not just from the West but from Afghanistan, India, Turkey and the Arab world? This remarkable double CD gathers forgotten jewels from that golden age and tells the stories (in an excellent CD booklet) of an artisan community that flourished during the 1960s and 70s before vanishing into exile or oblivion. Alongside two Googoosh tunes there are recordings by Pooran, Leila Forouhar (who must be a favourite of the compilers, as she gets four songs), Neli and many others. The music made ranges from atmospheric music rooted in Persian traditions to delicious psych-folk, with variety show ballads thrown in too – one artist covers The Beach Boys’ ‘Then I Kissed Her’. Revealed here is a fecund music scene excitedly fusing its ancient sounds with influences from both nearby and far away.

Not every track works – the influence of Demis Roussos and Nana Mouskouri lingers – but as a sonic document into a lost world, Rangarang is magnificent and proves why so many Balkan artists loved the rich, exotic sounds of pre-revolutionary Iran. Well done, Vampisoul.