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Tehrangeles Vice: Unearthing Lost Diaspora Pop Gems
11 Mar
Summary
- Underground cassette tapes historically carried revolutionary messages and banned music.
- Los Angeles became a hub for Iranian musicians facing restrictions.
- A new vinyl release captures 1980s-90s Iranian diaspora pop music.
Historically, cassette tapes served as crucial channels for communication and dissent in Iran, notably carrying Ayatollah Khomeini's revolutionary messages. In the Islamic Republic's early years, a covert cassette circuit also emerged, distributing forbidden Western albums, highlighting music's role in cultural exchange and resistance.
Due to persecution and artistic restrictions under Sharia-based laws, numerous Iranian musicians emigrated, with Los Angeles emerging as a significant destination. Their creative output, initially released on cassette and later CD, found a market in the Iranian music shops of "Tehrangeles," a moniker reflecting the area's large Persian community.
Now, a curated selection of a dozen tracks from this era is being released on vinyl as "Tehrangeles Vice: Iranian Diaspora Pop 1983-1993." This project, initiated by musicians Zachary Asdourian and Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan, aims to spotlight the neglected post-revolution Iranian diaspora music industry, which provided cultural refuge for decades.
