Chris de Burgh in Iran: other artists will be jealous

Almost none of my friends at UC Berkeley know who is Chris de Burgh. He is not like Justin Timberlake, but I remember, for years, Chris was very popular among the Iranian youth. Now, he is becoming the first famous and popular singer who is on the way to Tehran. It doesn't, however, surprise me. Remember the enthusiasm about Oliver Stone's desire to make a movie about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which was on media recently. I think, at this time, the Iranian government is open to invite everybody who bring publicity and attention to the conservative government in Tehran, domestically and internationally. It doesn't matter these people do not fit to the Islamic ideals or not, though. I can imagine in the coming months many other artists, musicians and actors decide to perform in an Islamic Republic which is super friendly with the West:

Chris de Burgh believes that music is an international language. Photograph: Johannes Simon/Getty

"It's like when Wham! played China in 1985 all over again, isn't it? News is just in that Chris de Burgh will be the first major Western musician to perform in Iran when he plays Tehran next year. Since the 1979 revolution, "decadent" music has been banned. But Burgh has been working with Iranian band Arian (NB not Aryan), recording a song entitled - not very controversially - Melody for Peace. While the government might approve of "peace" conceptually, they don't appear to be that interested on a practical level. Could Burgh's track be retitled Melody For a Bit of West-Baiting? Or a Wurzels cover, perhaps: I've Got a Brand New Uranium Enrichment Plant and I'll Give You the Key." (Read the rest of the story here...)