{"id":14378,"date":"2023-02-06T05:41:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T13:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=14378"},"modified":"2023-02-07T05:52:27","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T13:52:27","slug":"why-irans-unofficial-protest-anthem-baraye-won-a-grammy-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=14378","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Why Iran\u2019s Unofficial Protest Anthem \u2018Baraye\u2019 Won a Grammy&#8221;, Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Astha Rajvanshi, February 6, 2023<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dropcap\">I<\/span>t\u2019s a song that became synonymous with the women-led protests that swept through Iran since last year. But on Sunday, Shervin Hajipour\u2019s \u201cBaraye\u201d made history by <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6253081\/grammys-recap-2023\/\">becoming the first award-winner<\/a> for a new Grammy Award category, \u201cBest Song for Social Change.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-column-container\">\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"partial lead-image\">\n<div class=\"image-and-burst\">\n<div class=\"component hero\">\n<div class=\"partial figure\">\n<figure class=\"layout-shift-fix-base\"><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=479, https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=958 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=767, https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=1024 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=800, https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=1024 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fix-layout-shift\" title=\"65th GRAMMY Awards - Show\" src=\"https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GettyImages-1463303817.jpg?quality=85&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden announces the &quot;Best Song For Social Change&quot; award to Shervin Hajipour for &quot;Baraye&quot;  onstage during the 65th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 5, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (JC Olivera\u2014WireImage via Getty Images)\" \/><\/picture><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"image-wrap-container clearfix\">\n<div class=\"credit body-caption padding-8-top\">First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden announces the &#8220;Best Song For Social Change&#8221; award to Shervin Hajipour for &#8220;Baraye&#8221; onstage during the <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6253188\/iran-grammys-shervin-hajipour\/\">65th Grammy Awards<\/a> at <span class=\"skimlinks-unlinked\">Crypto.com<\/span> Arena on Feb. 5, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit body-credit padding-8-top padding-8-bottom\">JC Olivera\u2014WireImage via Getty Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"article content body clearfix\" data-tracking-zone=\"body\">\n<div class=\"padded\">\n<p>The song was released in response to the protests set off last September by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been in the custody of Iran\u2019s morality police for allegedly wearing \u201cimproper hijab.\u201d At least 527 protesters have died amid a regime crackdown on the demonstrations, which have involved 164 cities across Iran to date, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HRANA_English\/status\/1622372338049208320?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">according to<\/a> the Tehran-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).<\/p>\n<div id=\"88d047ba-8954-4830-a439-6aa7b7c72fb9\" class=\"pbs\" data-pbs-root=\"true\" data-pbs-position=\"static\" data-pbs-device=\"desktop\" data-pbs-pagination=\"true\" data-pbs-size=\"medium-large\" data-pbs-content=\"pause\" data-pbs-player=\"ads\" data-pbs-content-type=\"mrss\" data-pbs-ads=\"playing\">\n<div id=\"exp_8650d551-d3c2-45f8-bc1e-4b33b0aa9502\" class=\"pbs__player shown\">\n<div id=\"video845622476dc6eba39-4b8c-4d62-a268-2b3f9bc44e54\" class=\"pb-stream\" data-cedato-used=\"used\">\n<div id=\"__exco_root_container\" class=\"__exco_root_container __exco_desktop\">\n<div id=\"__exco_ad_container_1667428808_21\" class=\"__exco_ad_container\">\n<div>\n<div>U.S. First Lady Jill Biden announced the winner by calling the song \u201ca powerful and poetic call for freedom and women\u2019s rights.\u201d She continued, \u201cThis song became the anthem of Mahsa Amini protests, a powerful and poetic call for women\u2019s rights\u2026 Shervin was arrested but this song continues to resonate around the world with its powerful theme\u2014women, life, freedom.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-wrapper-full\">\n<div class=\"component video-youtube video-ratio-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"youtube-1804612\" title=\"YouTube video\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z8xXiqyfBg0\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Below, what to know about the song.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ntv1124334-534786-33701\" class=\"ntv-moap rule-bottom ntv1124334-534786-33701 ntvClickOut noskim\" data-integralas-id-6f00ca5f-7305-9956-a6a8-dac731b8b40a=\"\">\n<h2>Who is Shervin Hajipour?<\/h2>\n<p>Shervin Hajipour is a 25-year-old pop singer from Iran. In 2019, he appeared on the show <i>New Era<\/i>, Iran\u2019s version of <i>American Idol<\/i>, before being eliminated in the final round.<\/p>\n<p>Hajipour was relatively unknown until he released his single, \u201cBaraye,\u201d on Sept. 28, 2022, which he composed and recorded from his bedroom in the coastal Iranian city of Babolsar. Two days after he released his single, he was arrested and put in jail for several days before he was granted bail in early October. The song no longer appears on his Instagram account.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-ad-1\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper \" data-google-query-id=\"CLXYoNnEg_0CFYQefQodO2kC4Q\"><\/div>\n<p>Hajipour continues to face charges of \u201cpropaganda against the regime\u201d and \u201cinstigating the violence,\u201d according to the U.S.-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran. He has also been barred from leaving the country.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the new special merit category recognizing social change?<\/h2>\n<p>In October, the Recording Academy <a href=\"https:\/\/songforsocialchange.grammy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a> a new award category\u2014\u201cBest Song For Social Change\u201d\u2014given to a song that responds to \u201cthe social issues of our time and has the potential for positive global impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The award was proposed by academy members and the winner was chosen by a panel of music experts who formed the Grammys\u2019 blue ribbon committee. It was ratified by the Recording Academy\u2019s board of trustees.<\/p>\n<p>Singer-songwriter and Recording Academy member Maimouna Youssef previously told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/11\/07\/1134513941\/this-years-grammys-will-recognize-a-new-category-best-song-for-social-change\" target=\"_blank\">NPR<\/a> that \u201cBaraye\u201d was the leading candidate for the award. According to the Grammys website, Baraye was listened to by over 40 million people in less than two days following its September release.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read More: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/heroes-of-the-year-2022-women-of-iran\/\"><em>The Women of Iran are TIME\u2019s 2022 Heroes of the Year<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What does \u201cBaraye\u201d mean?<\/h2>\n<p>Baraye is a Farsi word that translates to \u201cBecause Of.\u201d Hajipour said he wrote the lyrics based on tweets posted by young Iranians that list the reasons why they continue to protest against the Iranian regime, previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CjfFgCyPTmE\/\" target=\"_blank\">posting<\/a>, \u201cthe lyrics of this song were written by you to relieve your pain.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-ad-2\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper \" data-google-query-id=\"COav1szEg_0CFU43rQYd6-IM4w\"><\/div>\n<p>For many Iranians, the song captures the widespread anger against the Iranian regime that has driven the largest anti-government protest movement in the country\u2019s recent history.<\/p>\n<p>The song\u2019s lyrics begin with: \u201cFor dancing in the streets,\u201d \u201cfor the fear we feel when we kiss.\u201d It then ends with the widely chanted slogan that has become synonymous with women-led protests in Iran since September: \u201cjin-jiyan-azadi\u201d or \u201cwoman, life, freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read More:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6219585\/why-iranian-protesters-chant-woman-life-liberty\/\"><em>Why Iranian Protesters Chant \u2018Woman, Life, Liberty\u2019<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Why did the song go viral?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cBaraye\u201d went viral almost immediately after it was released on Instagram. It has since become ubiquitous across Iran and online platforms as the unofficial anthem of the Iranian protests. The song has been featured in multiple protest videos and Iranians within the country and abroad have blasted it out in public gatherings like protests, funerals, celebrations, hikes, concerts, university campuses, and shopping malls.<\/p>\n<div class=\"component video-jw  \" data-player-id=\"1BWlFwPe\" data-media-id=\"NP59WH3s\" data-playlist-id=\"\" data-title=\"Heroes of the Year: The Women of Iran\" data-description=\"Time's 2022 heroes of the year are the women of Iran\" data-autostart=\"viewable\">\n<div class=\"partial aspect-ratio-box\">\n<div id=\"jw-1BWlFwPe-b9dcec7c-9d3b-408d-b464-26a869025a26\" class=\"jwplayer jw-reset jw-state-playing jw-stretch-uniform jw-flag-aspect-mode jw-breakpoint-1 jw-floating-dismissible jw-flag-user-inactive jw-flag-floating jw-flag-small-player\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"jw-wrapper jw-reset\">\n<div class=\"jw-aspect jw-reset\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"jw-captions jw-reset jw-captions-enabled\">\n<div class=\"jw-overlays jw-reset\">\n<div class=\"jw-controls jw-reset\">\n<p>\u201cThese protests intertwine with the broader demand of \u2018freedom\u2019 in the sense of individual political and cultural rights and openness, which was also a key promise of the Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy,\u201d an Iranian affairs expert previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outlookindia.com\/international\/iranian-state-faces-legitimacy-crisis-in-the-face-of-women-uprising-news-228706\" target=\"_blank\">told<\/a> <i>Outlook<\/i>. \u201cThe popularity of [the] slogan\u2026 would suggest that the current round of protests are better understood within the notion of the civil rights movement.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-ad-3\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper \" data-google-query-id=\"COev1szEg_0CFU43rQYd6-IM4w\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Read More: <\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6220894\/how-to-help-protesters-iran\/\">Here\u2019s How to Support Protesters in Iran<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Following Hajipour\u2019s arrest, a campaign on TikTok urged users to nominate \u201cBaraye\u201d for the \u201cBest Song for Social Change\u201d Grammy award category. It received 95,000\u2014or over 83%\u2014of the 115,000 total submissions for the award.<\/p>\n<p>After Hajipour was released on bail in October, he thanked his supporters and reiterated his love for Iran, but also denounced the use of the song for political benefit outside of Iran, which some Iranians claim was done under pressure by the Iranian authorities. \u201cBecause of forced confession,\u201d some <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/firouz_naderi\/status\/1577435885284773888?s=48&amp;t=2lUHcbncTEtHNZKpUas4NA\" target=\"_blank\">tweeted<\/a> in response.<\/p>\n<p>So far, there has been no reaction in Iranian state media or from government officials to Hajipour\u2019s win.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Astha Rajvanshi, February 6, 2023 It\u2019s a song that became synonymous with the women-led protests that swept through Iran since last year. But on Sunday, Shervin Hajipour\u2019s \u201cBaraye\u201d made history by becoming the first award-winner for a new Grammy Award category, \u201cBest Song for Social Change.\u201d First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001004,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14378"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001004"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14379,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14378\/revisions\/14379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}