TEHRAN – Mansur Nariman, one of the few oud pioneers of Iran, died of respiratory disease at Tehran’s Bahman Hospital on Tuesday. He was 81.

He was receiving treatment for several months at the hospital, but he did not respond to treatment, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Wednesday.

Born Eskandar Ebrahimi Zanjani in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, he selected the nickname Mansur Nariman when he started playing oud on some radio programs.

In February 2013, Nariman along with horn virtuoso Sharif Lotfi and composer Ahmad-Ali Ragheb received lifetime achievement awards during the 28th Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran.

Nariman was also the author of several books on Persian classical music namely “42 Songs for Oud”.

Oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument frequently used in Persian and Middle Eastern music whose construction is similar to that of the lute.

Photo: Oud virtuoso Mansur Nariman in an undated photo

AFM/YAW
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