Mazgani

Shahryar Mazgani (Iran, 1974), is a song writer, singer and guitarist, born in Iran, but based in Portugal, since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. His family came to Portugal as refugees, because they were Bahá’ís who were persecuted by the new fundamentalist regime of Ruhollah Khomeini.

In 2005, Mazgani was considered by the French magazine “Les Inrockuptibles” as one of the best 20 new European artists, even before the release of his first album. His debut album Song of the New Heart, released in 2007, contains 13 songs. One of them, Somewhere Beneath This Sky, won third prize at the International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, “AAA” category. The jury was made up of Tom Waits, Robert Smith, and other alternative music notables.

In 2009, Mazgani released a new EP, Tell the People, produced with Pedro Gonçalves (Dead Combo), followed in 2010 by his second LP Song of Distance.

Also in 2010, he composed the music for the play “Mr. Puntila and his servant Matti” by Bertolt Brecht, a Portuguese adaptation by João Lourenço for Teatro Aberto, of Brecht’s original play entitled Mr. Puntila and his man Matti.

In April 2013, his new album, Common Ground, was released, produced by John Parish – with the collaboration of Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), entirely recorded and mixed in Bristol (England).

Lifeboat is the name of the singer’s new album, released on April 13, 2015 and includes reinterpretations of songs by PJ Harvey, Elvis Presley, Cole Porter, Lee Hazelwood, among others.