Female musicians are not allowed to perform on stage in Isfahan. Mohammad Qotbi, the head of Isfahan Culture and Guidance Department has compared musical groups with the national football team. He believes that just as there are substitute players in football, musical groups should also have substitutes for their female musicians.
On the night of Monday, May 27, the “Eshtiagh” music group went on stage in Isfahan’s “Kosar” hall. The concert which was simultaneous with Isfahan’s Music Festival started with a 50 minute delay because agents of Isfahan’s Ministry of Culture and Guidance refused to allow the women to go on stage.
“Women are not allowed to go on stage”, Qotbi said.
“This is an unrecorded law which has been carried out the last ten years in this city”, Qotbi added.
Nassim Ahmadian, supervisor of the female group called “Nassim” and santur (Dulcimer) performer who lives in Isfahan told Sharq daily: “The elimination of female musicians has resulted in a stagnation of music in this province and half of our active society which are women, have been paralyzed”. (Sharq state-run daily)
