TEHRAN – Four Iranian musicians have been honored at the Global Music Awards.

Composer Mohammadreza Ajdari and setar virtuoso Behdad Babai won silver medals and composers Ahmad Chegeni and Amirreza Ojaqi received bronze medals.

Ajdari received the medal for his instrumental single “Autumn Girl”, which has received a nomination at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards.

The single has been recorded with guitarist Firuz Veisanlu, saxophonist and flutist Hadi Jedari, bass guitarist Babak Riahipur, and drummer Peyman Latifi. Mix and mastering have been done by Omid Asghari. This composition also features Ajdari on piano.

Babai won was honored for the album “Insanity Route”, which contains eight tracks improvised in collaboration with tombak virtuoso Navid Afqah.

“Except ‘Eight Beasts Based on Renge Farah’, all tracks are the outcome of my restless soul and wandering mind in winter and spring 2018,” Babai has previously said about the album, which was released in the summer of that year.

Canada-based Chegeni won the medal for his experimental rock piece “Stand Up”, as Amirreza Ojaqi received the medal for his sonata, “Fall in Love”.

A jury comprising 12 musicians, including Charles Denler, Darlene Koldenhoven, Ricky Kej, Elisabet Franch and John Daversa, has selected the winners.  

Iranian musicians have frequently been honored by the Global Music Awards, a well-known American international music competition which celebrates independent musicians.

Vocalist Abdolhossein Mokhtabad, composer Arman Manshaei and the Khajenuri Band were awarded in different categories in 2022.

In July 2022, Puya Sarai won a silver medal for his composition “Boghz”, a single that features Salar Aqili on vocals.  

The Saeidi Bothers, the traditional Iranian song duo of Ali and Mohammad Saeidi, were given a medal for their single “Youth” composed by Hamid Lali. Santur player Amir-Hossein Moallem also contributed to the piece.

Composer Arman Mansha’i was honored for his new-age piece “Dreams”.

A bronze medal was awarded to Hesam Sadafinejad for “Plasco”, a piece he released in January in memory of the 16 firefighters and a number of citizens who were killed in the collapse of Tehran’s 17-storey mega mall Plasco on January 19, 2017.

Photo: A combination photo shows Iranian musicians Mohammadreza Ajdari and Behdad Babai.

MMS/YAW