Between jazz rhythms, country-blues, and microtonal music, an amazing mix to start this show. “Like a Spark” is a new track signed by a musician who goes by the name Rostam, and since this show has been on France Inter for over ten years now, I’ve had the opportunity to talk about him more than once. Rostam is an Iranian first name; his full name is Rostam Batmanglij. He’s a musician of Iranian origin who rose to fame in New York about fifteen years ago as part of the Vampire Weekend group. He greatly contributed to the group’s music with his orchestral knowledge, having been trained in music theory and orchestration at Columbia University.
Rostam was born in 1983 in Washington. His parents had moved there after leaving Tehran in 1979, like many families, following the rise of the mullahs in Iran. The family first went through France, where they were granted political asylum. His mother Najmieh learned to cook in France, specifically in Vence, Provence. She published her first cookbook, “Ma Cuisine d’Iran,” in French back in 1984. The family later settled in the US capital, Washington DC. Together with her husband Mohammad, Najmieh founded their own publishing house to publish more cookbooks in English, which became very successful in the US. Rostam will release his new album, “American Stories,” in mid-May, where he explores his dual American and Iranian identity through his songs. He worked with renowned Canadian songwriter Tobias Jesso Junior and included various musicians like a double bassist, a cellist, and a saz player in the album.
Rostam has always highlighted his Iranian identity, even displaying his name in Persian characters on the cover of his first solo album. He always remained cautiously optimistic about the future of his country, even during the Tehran uprising in 2022. He is due to perform at La Maroquinerie in Paris on September 9th.
