ABOUT

My musical journey began somewhat inconspicuously way back in 2004, although initially as perhaps more of a curiosity than a serious endeavor. Prior to that, while I had been dabbling in writing songs, they had always been in English, and mostly for fun. But gradually, I felt that I was starting to develop as a songwriter, and more specifically, as a Persian songwriter. So I began to seriously consider pursuing music full-time. First order of business was to find out if it would be possible to create - in my mother tongue Farsi - music similar to what I had grown up listening to; that is to say a veritable potpourri of western genres, from alternative to pop to classical, and all points in between. Factor in a healthy dose of Iranian music from its heyday back in the 70s, the kind of mix that is still non-existant in the Iranian market to this day and the real challenge would be to put my own personal stamp on the whole thing. So I knew very well going in that I would be delving into completely uncharted territory, both as an artist and from the viewpoint of the audience, especially given that our language is not traditionally associated with certain styles, classic rock, for instance. But the more I played the more I liked what I was hearing. Suffice to say, I had finally found my calling. My first collection of songs would see the light of day a couple of years later. Today, a decade and change onward, and with a total of 7 original albums under my belt, I can definitely say that I remain as motivated as ever to continue on my musical journey. Now, about the whole “group” thing, although I've written, arranged, performed and produced every Shen Band track thus far almost singlehandedly, I decided right from the outset that I would present my work under the guise of the “fictitious” band Shen. What can I say, I’ve always wanted to be in a group. An Iranian group, to be more precise. However, it's only recently, with the big influx of ex-pat Iranians, that my dream has slowly become a reality and that I’ve finally been able to stage a handful of live concerts in addition to a series of smaller more intimate gatherings with the participation of some wonderful Iranian musicians. One thing’s for sure, solo or otherwise, I ain’t stopping now. Hope you dig the music. Kaveh Hashemi January 2021