BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:31102@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230617T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230617T220000 DTSTAMP:20230523T001708Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/shahin-najafi-presented-by-farhang- foundation/ SUMMARY:Shahin Najafi (Presented by Farhang Foundation) DESCRIPTION:Shahin Najafi is an influential classically-trained Iranian mus ician\, poet\, singer\, and social activist who gained international notor iety because his activism and the lyrical content of his music\, which dea ls with issues such as theocracy\, poverty\, sexism\, censorship\, child l abor\, drug addiction and homophobia.\n\nSet Times: TBD\n\nFor Location\, Parking &\; FAQ\, click here\n\nShahin Najafi is a musician\, poet\, s inger\, and social activist. He was born in 1980 to a middle-class family in Bandar-e Anzali\, Iran\, the youngest of eight children. He started wri ting poetry and learning to play classical and flamenco guitar in his teen s. He turned to rock music\, often performing as an underground musician.\ n\nAs a young activist\, Shahin's lyrics often conveyed strong and controv ersial messages about Iranian society. This attracted the disapproval of I ranian authorities and in 2004\, the threat of persecution forced him to l eave Iran.\n\nIn 2005\, Shahin moved to Germany. Dubbed the "angry bard"\, he continued to write and perform music that was critical of conditions i n Iran: poverty\, oppression of women\, homophobia\, censorship\, ideologi cal dogmas\, violence and cultural taboos. For a time\, his career veered into rap and hip hop\, bringing him fame among young fans back in Iran. Th ese days\, Shahin's music fuses rock\, jazz\, and blues with lyrics that d emand change.\n\nIn 2012\, Shahin released his most controversial song: Na ghi. In it\, he exhorts a Shiite Imam named Naghi to help solve some of th e problems plaguing Iran. But religious hardliners called the song an insu lt to Imams\, a crime severely punished in Iran\, and used Fatwas (religio us edicts) to demand his death. Around the world\, politicians\, scholars\ , musicians\, and devoted fans rose to Shahin’s defense\, propelling him into the limelight as a proponent of free speech.\n\n​​Shahin Najafi lives in Germany\, and is still at odds with Iranian authorities. He remai ns a dedicated and defiant artist who refuses to be silenced\, delivering his message to enthusiastic audiences wherever he tours. His fan base cont inues strong in Iran and has spread around the world.\n\nIn an industry th at often rewards mindless entertainment\, Shahin stands apart as a musicia n who brings both catchy riffs and revelations to every performance -- as he says\, "a pitcher of cold water poured on a slumbering society".\n\nhtt ps://www.shahinnajafimusic.com/\n\nhttps://www.facebook.com/shahinnajafi\n \nhttps://www.instagram.com/shahinnajafi/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2 023/05/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_500961699_555533310263_1_original.png CATEGORIES:Community,culture,Music/Folk/World LOCATION:Grand Performances\, 350 South Grand Avenue \, Los Angeles\, CA \, 90071\, United States GEO:34.05135;-118.250218 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=350 South Grand Avenue \, L os Angeles\, CA \, 90071\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Grand Performances:geo:34.05135,-118.250218 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Detroit X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Detroit BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20230312T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR