Reuters
Published Oct 10, 2020 02:48AM ET
Updated Oct 11, 2020 01:31AM ET
(Reuters) - Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Iran's most celebrated musician and a critic of the government, was buried on Saturday near the 10th century national poet Ferdowsi, Iranian media reported.
A classical composer and singer who died on Thursday in a Tehran hospital at the age of 80 after a long battle with cancer, was regarded as a national treasure who revived traditional music.
But he became a beacon of opposition after he condemned the violent government crackdown of protests against the disputed 2009 election that gave a second term to hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He was swiftly banned from Iran's music scene.
State TV on Saturday made a brief announcement about Shajarian's burial, which the media said was attended by his family, the culture minister, music veterans, artists, and fans.
The official IRNA news agency said big screens were installed in the streets of the nearby city of Mashhad to allow his fans to watch the procession live.
However, state TV did not cover the event live and photos and videos were posted on semi-official websites hours after the funeral.
Shajarian was buried, as he had willed, in the vicinity of Ferdowsi's mausoleum in the northwestern city of Tous.
Video footage posted on semi-official Iranian news sites showed mourners singing "Morgh-e Sahar" (The Dawn Bird) over Shajarian's grave, an ode to freedom and revolution that he composed.
Social media users reported access to the funeral site was restricted for security reasons and that authorities had restricted air travel to Mashhad.
A gathering on Thursday outside the Tehran hospital where Shajarian had died turned into a street protest. Social media videos showed police using batons against fans after they chanted slogans against state media - which had boycotted Shajarian for the past decade.
(dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com; Editing by Mark Potter and Christina Fincher)
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.