Hossein Ghavami Information

Hossein Ghavami (Fakhte) (April 17, 1909 – March 7, 1990) was the son of Rezaqoli Ghavami from a prominent Tehran family and one of the pioneering singers of the modern era of Iranian traditional music. He was one of the main singers of the “Golha” program and performed in various programs such as “Golha-ye Javidan,” “Golha-ye Rangarang,” “Barg-e Sabz,” “Shakhe Gol,” and “Golha-ye Tazeh,” leaving memorable works behind. One of his famous works is “To Ey Pari Kojayi” (Poetry by H.A. Sayeh, composed by Homayoun Khorram).

Life:
Hossein Ghavami was born on April 17, 1909, in Tehran. He had an interest in music from childhood. Hussein Khan Esmaeilzadeh, who had trained Abu’l-Hassan Saba, Morteza Mahjoubi, Reza Mahjoubi, Hossein Yaghmaei, and Hossein Tehran, lived in his neighborhood. When Esmaeilzadeh heard Hossein Qavami’s voice at the age of 10-12, he asked his father to allow him to take charge of his vocal training, which was met with his father’s opposition.

At that time, music was not seen with a good eye, which was the reason for his father’s opposition. However, because Hossein Qavami was interested in singing and Esmaeilzadeh encouraged him, he did not lose heart. He slowly gained experience by listening to the works of singers of that time such as Seyed Hossein Taherzadeh and imitating them. As a young man, with the help of his brother Ali Qavami, he became acquainted with some of the artists of that time, such as Ahmad Ebadi, Hossein Yaghmaei, Ali Akbar Shah-Naz, and Rezaqoli Mirza Zali, and then secretly went to Abdullah Hajazi, one of the masterful and knowledgeable teachers in the field of vocal music.

In 1946, he was offered a job at the radio by Hossein Gholi Mosta’an, the head of the radio. Due to family circumstances, his opposition, and the limitations of his workplace (the army), he accepted this offer on the condition that he would be introduced anonymously on the radio. Eventually, with the cooperation of Majid Vafadar, Hamid Vafadar, and also Ali Tajvidi, he started working. After six months, he was given the pseudonym “Fakhte” by Rouhollah Khaleghi. This name remained with him until his retirement from the army, and after that, he was able to perform under his real name. He worked for a total of 29 years from 1946 to 1975 at the radio. Qavami was one of the few singers whose voice matched the pitch of the instrument precisely, and he pronounced the words clearly in singing. He was a mature, polite, humble, and kind artist. Hossein Qavami continued to sing even in his 80s.

Hossein Qavami passed away on March 7, 1990, at 8:30 p.m. in Iran Mehr Hospital and was buried in the Imamzadeh Taher cemetery in Karaj alongside Gholam Hossein Banan and Morteza Hannaneh.

Famous Works:
Some of the most famous pieces performed by Qavami include:

– “Sargozashteh” (commonly known as “To Ey Pari Kojayi”) by Homayoun Khorram with lyrics by H.A. Sayeh
– “Shab-e Jodaei” by Majid Vafadar with lyrics by Rahi Mo’ayeri
– “Javani” by Hossein Yaghmaei with lyrics by Navvab Safa
– Various programs of “Golha-ye Tazeh,” “Barg-e Sabz,” and “Golha-ye Javidan” with Homayoun Khorram, Jalil Shahnaz, and other renowned artists.