Persian singer Firouz turns some of his darkest memories into an inspirational message for everyone on his debut single "Warchild." Firouz came to Europe after leaving his beloved country of Iran to live a life of freedom. He now lives in Hamburg, Germany where he is a successful model, dancer and aspiring singer.
Born in 1974, Firouz grew up in the village of Abadan right on the border with Iraq. When he was five years old, Persia officially became the Islamic Republic of Iran after a tumultuous revolution. Firouz' father owned a nightclub, which was forbidden by the new regime and eventually burned down. Months later, the bloody Iraq-Iran war started and Firouz' little border town was occupied and destroyed by Iraqi soldiers.
Firouz' parents made arrangements for him to escape to Europe to be safe from harm. In 1988, he finally was able to leave the country and live in freedom. He voices much of his experiences on "Warchild." Firouz explains that his struggle as a young child in the middle of a brutal war is a metaphor for other difficulties many other people face. "My story isn't an exception and not only about teenagers in some parts of the world where they die in senseless wars or lose their homes and family," he tells Arjanwrites.com."Everybody has their own personal fights. The hardest battle is the one inside of yourself and in your own life. Everybody is a warchild."
"My songs describe moments and express feelings to help people find beauty in even the hardest situations," he adds.
His positivity is what strikes me most about "Warchild." Even though, the inspiration came from a traumatic time in Firouz' life, he has been able to turn it around and write a soulful and uplifting mid-tempo tune that is reminiscent of Christina Aguilera's "Fighter."
Firouz is currently writing songs for his debut album that serve as a soundtrack to his memoir The Story of a Warchild. "Warchild" has been remixed and is available on iTunes in the U.S. If you'd like to hear the original version of "Warchild" and more of Firouz' tracks, head over to his MySpace page. More of my interview with Firouz soon. (A big, big thank you to Firouz for allowing me to post this track.)
Download Firouz "Warchild" [MP3]
