Musicians and Memory: Pouria Khadem in Conversation with Mehdi Yazdani Khoram
Pouria Khadem’s official YouTube channel,
the young Iranian composer reflects on the historical and cultural role of musicians in Iranian society.
Speaking with writer and literary critic Mehdi Yazdani Khoram,
Khadem explores the legacy of the Gosan an ancient figure in Iranian culture known for preserving epic tales and myths through performance.
He emphasizes that musicians have long served as storytellers and keepers of collective memory, rather than simply entertainers.
Drawing on examples from the Shahnameh, Khadem notes that Ferdowsi was deeply influenced by these
oral traditions including accounts shared by his own wife, who, according to some sources,
was herself a musician and singer. One such story, Bijan and Manijeh, may have entered Ferdowsi’s epic
through musical narration.
🎥 Watch the full video on youtube.
