(b Tehran, 1911; d Tehran, 1986). Persian singer. He came from an aristocratic background and was raised in a family circle frequented by literati and musicians. His father played the tār and his mother the piano; Banān learnt the rudiments of both instruments in childhood. He had voice lessons from his early teen years and by his mid-20s he had established a high reputation as a singer with a marked command of the radif and a sound knowledge of the Persian classical poetry on which Persian vocal music heavily relies.
In the 1930s Banān was drawn into the circle of progressive musicians led by Ali Naqi Vaziri, becoming closely associated with two of Vaziri’s leading disciples, Ruhollāh Khāleqi and Abolhasan Sabā. He participated in concerts organized by the Vaziri group as the lead singer, specializing in performances of new tasnif compositions. His fame spread after his radio engagements began in 1942.
By the 1950s Banān was the most highly regarded male singer in Persia. Recordings of his radio broadcasts and his published disc recordings are models of refinement in singing. His versatility in vocal renditions of the classical repertory of dastgāhs and particularly his tasteful presentation of modern compositions in Persian modes have been admired by connoisseurs and the general public alike. Contrary to the high vocal register cultivated by most male singers, Banān had a relatively low-pitched voice with a graceful, mellow and relaxed tone. He was also active as a voice teacher at the Conservatory of National Music in Tehran.
HORMOZ FARHAT