Iranian musicians reacted with a mixture of anger and dismay on Wednesday to a directive from a body headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeking to scrap Western music from the state media's playlists.
Iranians might not be humming along to versions of Abba and the Eagles for much longer, if a recommendation issued on Sunday is embraced by the state television and radio networks.
"State media should avoid cultivating decadent and Western music while emphasising legitimate, artistic, magnificent and authentic Iranian music," said the directive from the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.
A spokesman from state radio said such suggestions did not amount to a ban, but management would use them as guidelines to fine tune the playlist.
The foreign repertoire is usually either film soundtracks or instrumental covers of pop.
However, Iranian musicians saw the directive as a step back to the ideals of the 1979 revolution, so close to Ahmadinejad's heart.
"The news of the directive is very shocking and depressing," said Shahkar Bineshpajouh, a rapper who is one of Iran's best-known popular musicians.
"I wish those who issue such directives could be artists who understand that it is impossible to live without music and that music should be appreciated," he added.
A singer who chose to be identified only as Maryam said listening to music was one of the few ways people could unwind in the Islamic Republic.
"Since conservatives came to power, it is becoming very hard for us to work as musicians and to hold concerts. I wonder why people remain so indifferent," she said.
Bands that could get concert permits under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, now cannot find venues, musicians say. But Maryam had no doubt Iranians would continue to listen to Western music.
"Can they stop people from listening to music at home or dancing to music at their parties? Of course not," she added.
Iran has an extensive black market in which young people can find most of the latest Western hits at very cheap prices. Many download music off the Internet.
One senior Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Mohammadali Movahedi Kermani, said the "traditional" Persian music he saw on a state television programme failed to reach the standards demanded by religious law.
"(An official) said this was traditional music, God's punishment be upon him," he was quoted as saying by the ISNA students news agency.
"Have we been created by Allah to have fun? They are wasting people's time with leisure and idle pastimes," he added.
State radio told Reuters its playlists, both traditional and foreign, met high moral standards.
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