In Spring 2008, Ferryman Productions made an unprecedented announcement shocking the global mainstream media and the Iranian artistic community, as well; the outstanding and renowned Irish singer Chris de Burgh planned to travel to Iran to record some tracks with the popular Irananian band, Arian, and will return to Iran in November for a joint concert. Chris de Burgh owns Ferryman Productions.
It is the first event of its type since the 1979 Islamic revolution of Iran and that was why it made front-page headlines in Western newspapers and TV channels in less than an hour of the announcement. The Iranian Ministry of Culture confirmed that a performing license has been issued for Chris de Burgh to perform a joint concert with Arian.
de Burgh visited Iran in May when he recorded a tract with Arian. Upon his arrival at the Imam Khomeini International airport, a large crowd of reporters met him with cameras, notebooks and laptops in hand. Waiting a few hours, when the luxurious Boeing 737 landed, they surged forward to reach the 59-year-old singer and ask him hundreds of questions. But the security guards curbed the swarm and Chris de Burgh was escorted to a five-star hotel with an IKO Samand Souren.
Arian is a popular Iranian music ensemble that emerged in 2001, composed of nine singers and musicians, being directed by Ali Pahlavan as the bandmaster and assisted by Payam Salehi, along with three female back vocalists, Sanaz and Sahar Kashmari, and Sharareh Farnejad.
Arian has published four albums (including the latest with Chris de Burgh) and enjoys increasing popularity among Iranian youth, as well as the Persian speaking residents of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Since 2001, Arian has performed on four continents in forty countries, including Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, Norway, Belgium, Australia and Arabic countries of the Persian Gulf region with its millions of Iranian inhabitants. They also performed two International Red Cross charity concerts to help the survivors of Irans Bam earthquake and Indonesian tsunami. Led by the influential producer Mohsen Rajabpour, Arian also plans to hold a concert in the U.S.
The word Arian is derived from the Persian word Arya which refers to the first Iranian tribe living in the Ancient Persia during the early 5100s BC.
The latest album of Arian group which is honored by Chris de Burgh as the guest singer contains fourteen tracks with the third track named The Words I Love You performed in Persian and English by Ali Pahlavan and Chris de Burgh.
Arian also plans to invite more foreign singers and artists to Iran for recording some other common albums with the goal of spreading the culture of Persian language and music throughout the world.
