Tehran, Oct 28, IRNA � A number of Iranian pop singers have written an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani, asking him to remove the obstacles and support the musicians.

The signatories to the letter published Wednesday, include Sirvan and Xaniar Khosravi, Shahram Shokuhi, Behnam Safavi, Hamed Asgari, Reza Sadeqi, Reza Yazdani and Mohsen Yeganeh.
The pop singers explained about their problems and the widespread discrimination against pop music in the country.
�In music arena, no style has superiority over another, but unfortunately there is no sign of equality in music in our country. Pop music has always been degraded by officials while traditional music has been considered valuable and precious, although the value of a work is hidden in itself not in its style of performance,� reads part of the letter, according to Tehran Times.
�There is no doubt that regional music, folk and traditional music that are threatened to sink into oblivion need to be supported, but do traditional singers who are popular among their fans really need support?
�Performances in large halls such as Milad Tower, Vahdat Hall and Masudieh House are dedicated exclusively to traditional and fusion songs. They can make use of the banners across the cities to advertise for their concerts and also hold unveiling ceremonies for their new albums,� the letter added.
�Not many good halls are dedicated to the performances by pop singers, something which leads to high prices for tickets and low-quality performances,� the singers objected.
The musicians also complained that they must go through a long process to get permission issued by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for their concerts.
�The pop singers have shown that all these years they have been an oppressed group. They have always obeyed the law and only aim to promote pop music based on cultural values and help create a better atmosphere for work,� the letter concluded.

By IRNA