Amir Tataloo

Amir-Hossein Maghsoudloo (Persian: امیرحسین مقصودلو‎), better known by his stage name Amir Tataloo (Persian: امیر تتلو‎), is an Iranian singer-songwriter.

Amir Tataloo
Tataloo at Fars News Agency ceremony, 2017
Background information
Birth nameAmirhossein Maghsoudloo
Also known asTataloo
Bornc. 1982/1983 (age 36–37)[1][2]
Tehran, Iran
OriginIranian
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • Composer
Years active2003–present

Career

Tataloo, who initially started as an underground musician and remains unauthorized by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, was described by Time magazine[5] as "a rapper with so many fans" and by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty[6] as an artist with a "strong fan base" among the youth in Iran. His music style has been described as "popular flashy blend of pop, rap and R&B".[1]

In 2017, Tataloo briefly shifted to a conservative stance, encouraging his fans who call themselves "Tatalees", to vote for hardliners in 2017's presidential election. Tataloo left Iran in 2018 for Turkey. In January 2020 he was arrested and later released by the Turkish police following a drug-related Interpol request from Tehran.[7]

Tataloo's Instagram account, one of the most popular among Iranians, was permanently closed on 24 April 2020 (see allegations below).

In politics

Tataloo formerly criticized the establishment for not licensing his music, which is deemed as "Western, non-Iranian and immoral" by the government,[5] although he kept distance from politics.[6]

In 2015, he made a shift towards Iran's conservative agenda, pledging his support for the supreme leader of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on numerous occasions, as well as advocating mandatory hijab.[8][9]

In 2017, Tataloo initially endorsed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf for the Iranian presidential election. Following Ghalibaf's drop-out, Tataloo sided with Ebrahim Raisi and publicly met him.[8]

Controversies

Allegations of child grooming and sexual abuse

On 24 April 2020, Tataloo's popular Instagram account was shut down because he called for underage girls to join his harem and engage in sexual activity with him.[10]

Tataloo posted Instagram stories inviting children to have sex in his "harem" but deleted them a few hours after publication. However, screenshots of his posts were already taken and were sent to women's rights organizations, journalists, and Iranian and Turkish lawyers. Azadeh Akbari, a human rights activist who was instrumental in the closure of Tataloo's account, argued Tataloo's actions equated to child abuse.[11] Tataloo responded by sexually harassing and insulting Akbari on social media.[12] The messages were reported to the British police — Tataloo is planning to migrate to the United Kingdom. The spokesperson for Facebook, Instagram's parent company, made the following statement to the reporters: "The safety of members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate content that abuses or endangers children. We have blocked Amir Tataloo's account for violating our policies, and he will no longer be allowed to appear on Instagram.[11]

Arrests

Tataloo was jailed three times in 2013, 2016 and 2020. Iranian morality police briefly arrested him in December 2013 for distributing his banned music to illegal foreign satellite channels.[4] He was arrested again on 23 August 2016 and spent two months in prison because of insulting the judge in the court hearing, however, he was reportedly charged with "encouraging fasad and fahsha".[4][8] His fans posted comments on social media accounts of the supreme leader of Iran, demanding his release.[6]

On 28 January 2020, Tataloo was preparing to travel to the UK, where he was expected to play a concert in February. Tataloo whose real name is 'Amirhossein Maghsoudloo', was detained by Turkish authorities in Istanbul after he was flagged as a wanted person by Interpol.[13][14][15] Turkish authorities stated that they have acted on an "Interpol red notice" which was apparently issued by Iranian authorities - Iranian police have accused Tataloo of "encouraging citizens, especially the youth, to use drugs", according to a statement quoted by Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency.[13]

Nuclear Energy song

During the Iran/5+1 nuclear talks in Vienna, in July 2015, he released a song supporting the Iranian nuclear program. The music video was produced on the Iranian navy ship Damavand.[16]

Titled "Energy Hasteei" (انرژی هستی ای), the song's central message was to uphold Iran's right to patrol the Persian Gulf and to produce peaceful nuclear energy. Tataloo's nationalistic song caused controversy[17] among his Iranian fans who respected the artist for his frank, non-conformative political and social statements and were surprised to see him appearing to assist the government in their messaging around the nuclear issue.

Telegram audio message

He published an audio message in May 2017 on his Telegram channel, stating he "knew nothing about politics" and his political posts are forwarded by a friend in the IRGC Intelligence Organization with "enough political information to provide us with excellent guidance".[8]

Discography

Albums
  • Zire Hamkaf (2011)
  • Tatality (2013)
  • Man (2014)
  • Number 6 (2015)
  • Mamnoue (2016)
  • Number 7 (2016)
  • Ghahreman (2017)
  • Amir (2018)
  • Sayeh (2019)
  • Jahanam (2019)
  • Barzakh (2020)
  • 78 (2020)

References
  1. Hanif Kashani (15 July 2015), "Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies", Al-Monitor, retrieved 1 March 2017
  2. "How Iran is trying to win back the youth", Tehran Bureau, The Guardian, 20 July 2015, retrieved 1 March 2017
  3. Carles Feixa; Carmen Leccardi; Pam Nilan (2016), Youth, Space and Time: Agoras and Chronotopes in the Global City, BRILL, p. 227, ISBN 9789004324589
  4. Rouzbeh Hamid (2 October 2016), "Tataloo: the regular arrest of cursed celebrities in Iran", Radio Zamaneh, retrieved 11 June 2017
  5. Kay Armin Serjoie (16 July 2015). "This Is the Surprising Way the Iranian Military Responded to the Nuclear Deal". Time. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  6. Farangis Najibullah & Mohammad Reza Yazdanpanah (25 August 2016). "Iranian Fans Take To Social Media To Demand Rapper's Release". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  7. McKernan, Bethan (29 January 2020). "Iranian rapper Amir Tataloo arrested in Turkey". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  8. Holly Dagres (1 June 2017), "This young Iranian rapper may have cost Raisi the presidency", Al-Monitor, retrieved 13 July 2017
  9. Ershad Alijani (5 January 2017). "Has Iran's bad boy singer been forced to campaign for the religious authorities?". France24. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  10. "Iranian Rapper Calling For Underage Girls To Join His Harem Kicked Out Of Instagram". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 25 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  11. "Instagram Shuts Down the Account of Popular Iranian Singer Accused of Child Grooming". Iranwire. 27 April 2020.
  12. "First His Supporters Insulted Me, Then They Threatened Me with Rape and Murder". IranWire | خانه. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  13. "Iranian rapper detained by Turkish authorities". BBC News. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  14. "Outspoken Iranian rapper Amir Tataloo arrested in Turkey". Arab News. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  15. "Iranian Rapper Arrested In Turkey, Tehran Authorities Say". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  16. Ishaan Tharoor (16 July 2015). "Watch: Iranian rapper celebrates nuclear power from the deck of a warship". Washington Post.
  17. "This young Iranian rapper may have cost Raisi the presidency". Al-Monitor. 9 July 2017.
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