On September 16, 2022, after the death of a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Tehran police, a vast political and social protest movement began in Iran. The people of Iran called this movement “Woman, Life, Freedom,” and throughout it, they demanded fundamental reforms in the structure of the Iranian government. Although the movement was met with severe and violent state repression, it succeeded in bringing many demands to the forefront—especially those related to women’s rights.
The song “Baraye…” (“For…”)—written, composed, and performed by the Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour—became the central anthem of Iranians during this movement.
The music you see and hear in this post is the translated version of that song, performed by an Iranian singer living in Europe. It is worth noting that the translated lyrics have been slightly adapted to convey the meaning more clearly to a non-Iranian audience.
Shervin Hajipour, the lyricist and performer of the original song, was arrested by the Iranian government for creating this piece.
In 2023, he received the Grammy Award for «Song for Social Change» for this work.
