Mihdi Takastani

Takistani, Mihdi (1928-1995)

Tar instrumentalist. Although in music he was self-taught, his nimble fingers on the tar and his ability to play varieties of popular melodies won him fame in Tehran from 1945 onwards. Although his talent was appreciated by maestros such as Mahjubi and Husayn Yahaqqi, due to his lack of classical training and inclination toward performing in public recreational establishments and catering to the masses’s moods and tastes, his art failed to flourish. Takistani’s output is restricted at most to a few solo performances recorded on gramophone discs between 1950 and 1955. He also performed on two Golha programmes: Golha-yi rangarang no. 345b and Yik shakhih gol no. 19. He emigrated to the United States in early 1981 to pursue his artistic career and resumed his performances there. No solo album of his has been released.