Hadi Pakzad

In the bumpy and rocky history of rock and alternative music in Iran, few names are as revered and highly esteemed as Hadi Pakzad, especially among the younger generation of musicians who appeared after the 1979’s revolution. Rock music in this land goes way back to 1960s and 1970s, but there was an extended hiatus for about 25-30 years. Born in 1982 and in the city of Mashhad, Hadi held a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering but was chiefly engrossed in philosophy, literature and music. He started his work as a young alternative musician in 2002, but had to work in the underground scene, until 2016 when a compilation of his previous works was “officially” published with a permit from Iran’s Ministry of Islamic Guidance. Later that year, on May 27th, he took his life after an overdose on tranquilizers and sleeping pills. […]