Toranj - Mohsen Namjoo - From Tannaz Haghayegh

Gofta man an toranjam, kan dar jahan nagonjam
Goftam beh az toranji, leeken be dast nayee

Gofta to az kojayee, kashofte minomayee
Goftam manam gharibi, az shahre ashenayee

Gofta sare che dari, kaz sar khabar nadari
Goftam barastanat, daram sare gedayee

Gofta be delrobayee, ma ra che gooneh beeni?
Goftam cho kharmanee kol, dar bazme delrobayee

Goftam ke booye zolfat, gomrahe alamam kard
Gofta agar bedani, hamavat rahbar ayad

Goftam ke nooshe la'alat, ma ra be arezoo kosht
Gofta to bandegi kon, koo bande parvar ayad

گفتا من آن ترنجم، کاندر جهان نگنچم
گفتم به از ترنجی، لیکن به دست نایی

گفتا تو از کجایی، کاشفته می‌نمایی
گفتم منم غریبی، از شهر آشنایی

گفتا سر چه داری، کز سر خبر نداری
گفتم بر آستانت، دارم سر گدایی

گفتا به دلربایی، ما را چگونه بینی
گفتم چو خرمنی کل، در بزم دلربایی

گفتم که بوی زلفت، گمراه عالمم کرد
گفتا اگر بدانی، هم اوت رهبر آید

گفتم که نوش لعلت، ما را به آرزو کشت
گفتا تو بندگی کن، کو بنده‌پرور آید


Namjoo was born in 1976 in Torbat-e Jam, Iran. When he was one year old, his family moved to Mashhad where he spent the next seventeen years of his life in. When he was 12, his father, Mohammad Hossein Namjoo, died. Few months later, his family encouraged him to start attending a music class. He started classical Persian vocal music with Ali Shakeri and solfège with Kaivan Alaee. Few months earlier, he got to know Ali Shakeri through Nasrollah Nasehpoor in a trip to Tehran. At that time, Ali Shakeri was a student of Nasrollah Nasehpoor. Almost a year after having sessions with Ali Shakeri, Nasrollah Nasehpoor started to have weekly music sessions in Mashhad. This was a great opportunity for the young Namjoo to learn classical Persian vocal music from whom he thinks of as the best teacher for traditional Iranian singing. He attended these classes until the age of 18.

In 1994 he was offered admission to study Music at University of Tehran. Since the music program at the university wouldn't start for another year, he took two theater classes from department of drama, University of The Arts. Namjoo always recalls the two theater classes and that one year period of time to be the time which shaped many parts of his work and his life. At Tehran University he was a student of Alireza Mashayekhi and Azin Movahed and other masters.

His debut album titled Toranj was officially released in Iran in September 2007 with his own voice appearing in most of his compositions. He has also composed soundtracks for movies and plays, and was featured in the documentary Sounds of Silence (directed by Amir Hamz and Mark Lazarz] which has been screened at international film festivals. He also appeared in a feature narrative film called Few Kilograms of Dates for the Funeral (Director Saman Saloor), played in various film festivals. Namjoo's first performance outside Iran was in January 2006 at the Tehran Hotspot of the International Rotterdam Film Festival where he played solo.[citation needed]

He also writes poetry, and sometimes uses his own satirical lyrics in his songs blended with the classical poetry of Hafez, Rumi or Saadi. His music and words are very emotional and, in his works, he creates a fusion of various styles from traditional Iranian to blues and rock.

Mohsen Namjoo performed his first live TV concert on the Persian News Network of Voice of America in Washington DC for the Norouz event for the celebration of Persian new year on Saturday, December 20, 2009

courtesy : wiki