Parties in Iran: A Recent History

Gatherings of Iranians for reasons other than family or community oriented celebrations or mournings are a relatively new phenomenon. Most of the earliest parties were gatherings of men over drinks and discussions of politics but by time the 1960’s rolled around, Iran’s middle class had enough money and ambition to party like their Western counterparts. Dance parties and birthday parties were gaining popularity and traditional Persian music was radically evolving to entertain the new era.

Prior to this time, the gap between classical Iranian music performed for royals and nobles and the popular music of the peasants and nomads had grown wide: early cabaret music was their only common ground. With the prominence of movies and television, a steady stream of Western influence brought a generation of young Iranian musicians to the centre of this new movement.

During this period, trained and talented musicians were coming together and forming bands in the newly opened dance and music halls in bigger cities like Tehran and Shiraz, while small local bands were hired to perform new and popular songs for house parties in smaller towns.