Having just released his debut single “Warchild”, singer Firouz has taken all his past memories of childhood and Iran, and turned them into something positive and inspirational. While a lot of Iranians his age went through similar experiences, leaving war and revolution in their homeland, Firouz is now channeling all of that into a great message and music for the world to hear. I had a chance to talk to him recently:
Shabnam Rezaei: Tell us a little about yourself.
Firouz: I grew up in Germany but I was born in Abadan as the youngest of 8 children. I have not been to Iran in the last 20 years but this fact is still is one of the biggest inspirations for my artistic work.
SR: What made you decide to go into modeling and singing?
FM: I really did not decide. It all started by pure chance. I started modeling in 1994 and I was very happy to have that chance otherwise I could have not been able to afford to go to college. College was all I wanted!
I was booked for Photo shoots and videos and I was into dancing a lot. One day during a video shoot I was asked if I was able to dance as well and I said yes. After that video shoot I was offered “singing” jobs because at that time there was this big hype of boy groups like “Nsync” and “The Backstreet Boys”. They thought I would be the perfect face for such a project!
After I rejected a lot of different “boy group” offers I decided to write my own material. It was the best decision I have ever made artistically to date.
PM: Tell me about your latest song and what it means to you?
FM: My music means a lot to me because it comes from the heart. Once you have certain looks people automatically expect you to do a certain kind of music. Pop business is about stereotypes which is a strange thing because I am not interested in stereotypes at all. I didn’t want to be the next “Ricky” or “Enrique”. It was breaking free from people’s expectations.
At the same time I always knew that I could only be successful if I sing about the things I know from very own personal experience: The things that really mattered to me.
|
After starting this crazy ride of writing material for an album started it turned out that I did not write any typical romantic love songs. The most difficult part in writing songs for me has always been the inner pressure to be good and having the great people in mind that inspired me musically since I was a little boy.
Great artists such as Babyface, Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Jody Watley and so many others…writing songs made me more confident, mature and aware of what was really relevant to me.
SR: What has been the most exciting project to work on and why?
FM: The most exciting project is creating a rejoicing, fulfilled and challenging day! To wake up every morning and knowing that there is people my age who did not have the chance to come to Europe, to survive all the pain and have the possibilities and chances I have.
Every day is a new exciting project!
SR: You are Iranian. Do you speak Persian?
FM: Of course I speak, write and read. Growing up in Europe means a great opportunity to learn different languages and grow up with wonderful people from all over the world. But I don’t have a lot of Iranian friends. I don’t want to start to repeat myself. Life is too short to eat Kabab everyday and listen to the same kind of music and there is so much more to learn about other cultures and each other.
Some people are Iranian but I consider myself a world resident who happened to be born in Iran!
I still read Farsi just as much as I read English to keep in touch with the language. I think I belong to a new generation of young Iranian people who try to break free from old-fashioned and outdated ideas and expectations of what an Iranian man should look like, dress and behave.
I want to be accepted as a free human being. Everything else is subordinate.
SR: What is your next project?
|
FM: I am working on new songs, remixes and a new video with my director.
It’s going to be very different from the first video. I hope to get a record deal so I can release more songs and get more and more people listen to my songs.
I am moving to London in a few weeks.
There’s going to be some online interviews on youtube.com in English, German and Farsi soon.
SR: Desert Island. Three things. What will you take?
FM: When I came to Germany I was 13 years old and Germany island was an exotic place which existed only in my imagination. Everything I had was some family pictures, letters and clothing.
I think I have come very far since then!
PersianMirror Quikfacts:
Full Name: Firouz Mostovfi
Favorite Color: The color of the eyes of the ones I loved!
Favorite City: Dirty, loud and alive. Of course Sao Paulo, Brazil
Favorite Dish: South Iranian dishes!
Languages: Persian, English, German and currently learning Portuguese!
Currently Reading: “The Gift Horse” by Hildegard Knef
For more on Firouz and his single “Warchild”, please visit his webpage.
|
