Anika has teamed up with a collective of Iranian musicians called Ni Vash for a new charity single called ‘No Fly Zone’.
Released through Invada Records, the Iranian artists featured on the track have been credited collectively in an effort to conceal their names for the safety of themselves and their loved ones. Their name, Ni Vash, comes from the Persian word for ‘renewal’ or ‘regeneration’, while the track itself makes heavy use of words from Nasim Lucaj’s poem ‘Anemone, Windflower’.
All profits from the release, which you can purchase via Bandcamp, will go directly to a UK-based charitable organisation, which has asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. The organisation is campaigning for human rights and women’s equality in Iran, as well as fighting against government oppression via demonstrations, conferences and publications.
The release of ‘No Fly Zone’ follows a number of charity efforts in relation to Iranian authorities’ crackdown on widespread protests in the country in 2022, which were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody on September 16. Lafawndah released a charity single, ‘The Dawn Of Everything (Jin​, ​Jiyan​,​ Azadi)’, in November, and also contributed to a series of solidarity radio broadcasts through Radio AlHara in September, alongside Mariam Rezaei and others.
‘No Fly Zone’ is out now on Invada.
