Ministry denies reports on Chris de Burgh concert in Tehran

Tehran - Iran's Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance denied reports that Irish singer Chris de Burgh would hold a concert in Tehran, official news agency IRNA reported Saturday. The local media reported last month that de Burgh was scheduled to perform a concert in Tehran in late November, the first concert by a Western pop singer since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The ministry's music department said that there had neither been any official request nor any relevant permission issued for the concert.

Iranian music producer Majid Roqani was quoted last month by Iranian press sources as saying that the concert - together with the Iranian band Arian - would be held in the last week of November at the Azadi indoor stadium in western Tehran.

According to Roqani, de Burgh would give a 40-minute show of his own songs and another 30-minute show together with the Arian band.

The concert needs special permission from the ministry, which is the country's cultural watchdog and currently dominated by ultra- conservative officials affiliated to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration.

Arian and de Burgh have already recorded a new version of his song The Words I Love You, which is also on the latest album by the Iranian group.

Arian is the most successful pop group in Iran, and its concerts abroad have found wide resonance among Iranian expatriates.

The Irish singer was in Tehran in May and inspected the technical facilities of the probable concert venues.

The Azadi indoor stadium has a capacity of 12,000 and - if the concert gets the go-ahead - is expected to be fully sold-out.

Iranian record production company Taraneh Sharqi (Oriental Melody), headed by Roqani, are planning the concert.

The Irishman is one of the most popular Western singers in Iran, and almost all his albums are available throughout the country.