Osman Mohammadparast, Renowned Iranian Dotara Master, Passes Away

Osman Mohammadparast, the celebrated dotara player of Iran and the Khorasan region, passed away at the age of 94 in Khaf. Many know him through the famous Khorasan song “Navai” which has remained immortal in the minds and memories of Iranians.

Osman Mohammadparast was born in 1928 in Khaf, Khorasan. He was also known as Osman Khafi.

From the age of 10, he learned to play the dotara. Although his father opposed his musical pursuits, the talent and passion of his son changed his father’s view.

Later, speaking about the beginning of his musical career, he said: “From the age of twelve or thirteen, I became an accompanist with the dotara, and after finishing work—which is the essence of every Khafi man—I would engage in spiritual listening with myself, and I never had a teacher in this field. Dotara means love; the ‘dotara’ is a calm and gentle instrument that brings peace to both the player and the people who are interested in this instrument.”

From Chavooshi and Sarhadi to other modes of the Khorasan region, these are musical works that Osman Mohammadparast performed in various ways.

Osman Mohammadparast said about the origin of dotara playing: “The origin of the dotara is the three cities of Khaf, Taybad, and Torbat-e Jam, which mostly focus on Persian and local melodies, and after that the dotara is also common in Qouchan, Shirvan, and Bojnord, where they played Kurdish and Turkish melodies. From there it reached the Turkmen people in Gonbad Kavoos, who played Turkmen melodies with the dotara.”

His song “Navai Navai” was first performed in 1974.

The first permanent tile for preserving the country’s intangible heritage was installed on the door of Osman Mohammadparast’s house.

This master of traditional Khorasan music collaborated with many musicians including Jalil Shahnaz, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Farhang Sharif, Akbar Golpaigani, and Asghar Bahari.

He explicitly criticized the limitations and negative attitude prevalent in the Islamic Republic toward music and its prohibition, and complained about the government’s neglect of musical and artistic figures.

In spring of last year, the Organization for School Construction, Development and Equipment awarded Osman Mohammadparast the School-Builder Ambassador medal during a ceremony in Khaf County.

He is recognized as the founder and promoter of the construction of more than 900 schools in Iran.

Osman Mohammadparast passed away on May 19, 2022, at the age of 94 in Khaf’s 22 Bahman Hospital in Khorasan.

Source: DW