In fact, he has already spent two years locked up – including a spell in solitary confinement and a hunger strike – for releasing songs the Iranian authorities did not agree with. But he is undeterred.
“I will not step back and I will not censor myself,” he tells BBC News.
And so, he has been working undercover from the basement of his home in Sari, northern Iran, to create a new album.
Called Coup Of The Gods, it features a Brazilian orchestra, alongside musicians from Turkey, Russia, India, Argentina and two female singers from the US, Lizzy O’Very and Aubrey Johnson.
Those voices bring life to Rajabian’s songs of heartache and struggle. But they are also making a bold political statement – because female vocalists are effectively banned in Iran.
When Rajabian announced his intention to work with female musicians last year, he was arrested and taken to court, where a judge told him he was “encouraging prostitution”.
After posting bail, he continued to record, despite the threat of imprisonment. ( Source BBC News)
