Tag Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjavardi

Kaveh Haghtalab

Kaveh Haghtalab – An Iranian Musician’s Perspective of NY’s Music Scene

Interview by DooBeeDooBeeDoo NY

I had the opportunity to interview Iranian musician Kaveh Haghtalab. He has been contributing music, sounds and rhythms with his kamancheh and drum skills to the New York’s music scene since 2012. His views on the music scene and business in his native Tehran and in New York City bring a fresh and informative view of our business and art.

DooBeeDooBeeDoo NY (DBD): Kaveh, it’s good of you to join us. Please let’s start with your background. You’re Iranian, originally from Tehran. What did you do before coming here? What made you come to New York City in 2012, and what have you been doing since your arrival?

Kaveh Haghtalab (KH): Thanks for having me here at DooBeeDooBeeDoo.

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Music As A Political Weapon: An Editorial by Musicians for Musicians, and DooBeeDooBeeDoo NY

Written by Dawoud Kringle, with Sohrab Saadat Ladjavardi 

Musicians rights imageShortly after midnight, after the results of the presidential election were announced, I posted the following words on Facebook and Twitter

Here lies the United States of America;
Born July 4th, 1776
Died November 8th, 2016.

Granted, the gesture may have been overly dramatic. But it conveys a valid sentiment.

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“Freelance Isn’t Free” – Freelancers Union Makes a Show of Support to End Abuse of Freelance Workers

Freelancers Union Legislation Hearing logoText by Dawoud Kringle

Photos and video by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

One would think that freelance work is lucrative. On paper, in theory, this is true. The reality, however, is very different. The sad fact is that 1.3 million freelancers in New York city lost an average of $6,000 a year to nonpayment. The reason for this is simple. There is no legal protection for freelancers. If a freelance worker is hired for a job, often he / she is not paid. They may be underpaid, paid late, or never paid at all. If they sue the company, there is no legal framework clearly defining freelancers’ rights in the way a regular W2 employee’s rights are protected. Even if they do win the case, freelancers have no way to actually collect what they’re owed. To add insult to injury, freelancers who dare to challenge having their rightfully earned wages stolen are often blacklisted. The situation is, quite simply, intolerable.

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MFM’s Second Public Meeting: A Promising Idea Is Put To A Difficult Test

Text by Dawoud Kringle

MFM jpg logoOn Monday, 1/25/16, I attended the second public meeting of Musicians for Musicians (MFM). The regular DBDBD reader will recall my article about the first meeting wherein I mentioned that, as a milestone in the fledgling organization’s humble beginning, it was a successful first step. Now, MFM takes its second step.

MFM founder and president Sohrab Saadat Ladjavardi held court once again for the second meeting. The tradition of a musical interlude, started by Saadat at the first meeting, was led by Zikrayat leader Sami Abu Shumays. He led the participants in a vocal call and response that allowed the participants to experience firsthand the nuances of maqam based melodies.

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