Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini

Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini, born in 1982 in Kuhdasht County, Lorestan, is one of the leading figures of the regional music of the Zagros and one of the most active artists in the field of the tanbur and the folk melodies of Lorestan. He grew up in a musical family, one in which playing folk instruments, especially the tanbur, has a long history.

Hosseini began learning the tanbur from his father at the age of seven and acquired the first concepts and techniques of the instrument in an authentic, local environment. Later, his serious passion for maqam music (music built on traditional melodic models called maqams) brought him to the renowned tanbur master, the late Seyed Ghodratollah Moshashaei. Years of study with this master acquainted him with the “majlesi and haqqani maqams” of the Lorestan tanbur (secular maqams for gatherings and sacred maqams) and allowed him to learn a large part of the region’s authentic melodies orally, passed on from master to pupil.

Hosseini also benefited from the teachings of Master Emamgholi Emami Azizi, and in this way completed his knowledge and skill in the tanbur and the regional music of Lorestan. This training and experience have made him one of the few artists with full command of the ancient and rarely heard maqams of Lorestan.

Artistic work and cultural role

Over the years of his career, Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini has made remarkable efforts to document, revive and present the indigenous music of Lorestan. By collecting and retelling the old maqams, tunes and structures of this music, he has played an effective role in passing on the musical culture of the Zagros to the new generation.

One of the most important features of his artistic record is the bridge between the “traditional manner of performance” and “formal, contemporary presentation”, a path that has enabled the indigenous music of Lorestan to find a large audience not only regionally but also nationally.

Works

Among his published works, the album Yari – Musiqi-ye Navahi-ye Lorestan (“Yari: Regional Music of Lorestan”) holds a special place. With 23 tracks, the album is regarded as one of the first official collections presenting Laki music and the local maqams of Lorestan. The collaboration of artists such as Behrouz Almasi, Kourosh Seyf and Esmaeil Mohammadi has further added to the musical value of the work.

Artistic standing

Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini can be counted among the artists who have not only preserved the tanbur in its original authenticity but have also saved many rarely heard maqams from oblivion. Through live performance, recordings, field research and direct teaching, he plays an effective role in the continuity of Lorestan’s folk music.