Seyyed Javad Zabihi (Persian: سید جواد ذبیحی; 1931 – July 15, 1980) was an muezzin, eulogist, and reciter of Noha and supplications in Shia religious ceremonies, as well as a performer of classical Persian singing.
Following the 1979 Revolution, Zabihi was arrested due to his association with the previous regime under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was later released on the orders of Ruhollah Khomeini, but in July 1980, he was murdered by unknown individuals. His body was initially discovered by the gendarmerie and kept anonymously in a morgue.
Early life
Seyyed Javad Zabihi was born in 1931 in Shemiran, Tehran. His father, Seyyed Esmaeil Zabihi, was a eulogist from the village of Darakeh, north of Tehran. From a young age, Zabihi wore a fez and participated in religious gatherings across Tehran and other cities. Though he lacked formal education, he was well-versed in Persian vocal radifs.
In 1957, he collaborated with Davoud Pirnia and artists such as Hassan Kassai, Reza Varzandeh, Jalil Shahnaz, Ahmad Ebadi, Morteza Mahjoubi, Ali Tajvidi, Parviz Yahaghi, Hossein Tehrani, Mehdi Khaledi, and Farhang Sharif, entering the field of secular music. Unlike most singers, he did not perform alongside musical instruments; instead, musicians would play instrumental improvisations before and after his a cappella singing.
