PEOPLE
FASHION
By Fred Parvaneh
The non-profit Farhang Foundation presented its first Iranian Cultural Runway show on top of Los Angeles’s tallest building on February 10th.
Presented by comedian Melissa Shoshani and with music by DJ Arin, the sold-out event witnessed the transformation of the 70th floor of the US Bank Tower known as OUE Skyspace LA into a fashion runway.
The show’s theme...
ART
First Exhibition of Persian Decorative Art Opens in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s first and most comprehensive exhibition of Persian decorative arts has just opened at the Liang Yi Museum, coinciding with the start of the Persian New Year.
“The Blue Road: Mastercrafts from Persia” showcases 94 carefully selected artifacts, ranging from glass, ceramic, textiles, and...
Iranians in London Celebrate Nowruz in Style
By Tara Biglari
Millions of Iranians around the world this week celebrated Nowruz -- the Persian New Year -- marking the most important holiday of the year and the first day of Spring.
Galas, festivals and events were held across the U.S. and Europe, with the...
All About Nowruz: The Persian New Year
Nowruz marks the start of a New Year for over 300 million people around the world – foremost among them the people of Iran, for whom it is the most important festive occasion of the year, embodying a wealth of ancient rites and customs.
The word...
Nowruz Events in Europe
By Tara Biglari
Nowruz, the Persian New Year, marks the first day of spring and is an Iranian word that translates as "New Day." The holiday is celebrated by Iranians across the globe with week-long events that celebrate Iranian culture through dancing, culinary experiences and...
LIFESTYLE
‘My Persian Kitchen’ Pop-Up Brings Iranian Cuisine to Cambridge
By Tara Biglari
In quaint Cambridge – home to one of the world's greatest universities – a pop-up restaurant called My Persian Kitchen is revitalizing the local culinary scene. Started by Sirous Vaezzadeh-Naderi and Abigail Plet, the restaurant is changing perceptions of Iranian cuisine.
Sirous was...
Persian Recipes for Thanksgiving: A Kayhan Life Selection
By Fred Parvaneh
On the fourth Thursday of November, Americans of every faith celebrate Thanksgiving Day, an annual holiday celebrated nationwide in the US since 1789 after a proclamation by President George Washington.
Immigrants to America have embraced the Thanksgiving holiday, as it’s a chance for...
A Persian Puppeteer in London
By Tara Biglari
"Dream and Destiny: Persian Modern Tales" was the title of a show performed at the Little Angel Theatre in Islington, north London, in September. It was the work of the Little Giants Theatre, which uses stories, puppets, masks, actors, video and even...
L.A.’s Iranian-American Foodies Produce Video Series on Persian Restaurants
Have Anthony Bourdain and Guy Fieri met their Iranian matches?
A popular new web page on Facebook called “L.A. Foodies Social Club” is showcasing Persian restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
The brainchild of Fred Parvaneh and Shahin Shafaei, “L.A. Foodies Social Club” produces monthly video...
FILM
Comedian Nazanin Nour On Her Viral ‘Persian Mom’ Videos
By Fred Parvaneh
American-born Nazanin Nour is an actor, comedian and writer who has appeared on prime time U.S. TV shows like ‘Madam Secretary’, ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘Political Minds.’ Nazanin (under the Instagram username @freclednaz) is also the creative mind behind the "Persian Mom," a...
Iranian Runway Show Takes Over Top of LA’s Tallest Building
By Fred Parvaneh
The non-profit Farhang Foundation presented its first Iranian Cultural Runway show on top of Los Angeles’s tallest building on February 10th.
Presented by comedian Melissa Shoshani and with music by DJ Arin, the sold-out event witnessed the transformation of the 70th floor of...
Iranian Wrestler Reza Abedi, Who Defected in 1982, to Join U.S. Hall of Fame
By Fred Parveneh
On April 15th, Reza Abedi – one of four wrestlers who defected from Iran to the West in 1982 – will be inducted into the California chapter of the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Born into a family of wrestlers in Kermanshah,...
BOOKS
Abbas Amanat’s Engaging History of Iran: Book Review
By Ariane Moshiri
Abbas Amanat's "Iran: A Modern History" is the culmination of decades of patient and careful scholarship. For those who may be intimidated by the 1,000-page opus, Amanat writes in engaging prose, and offers a wonderful insight into Iran’s rich cultural and political history....
Sixteen-Year-Old Underachiever is Hero of Arvin Ahmadi’s Debut Novel
By Fred Parvaneh
“Down and Across,” published by Penguin Random House, is the debut novel by Iranian-American Arvin Ahmadi: a coming-of-age story of grit and self-discovery that follows Scott Ferdowsi, a high-school student with a propensity to quit projects.
“Down And Across” has received praise and...
A Memoir of Iran: Interview with Cyrus Kadivar
By Tara Biglari
"Farewell Shiraz" is the title of a new memoir by the Iranian author Cyrus Kadivar, which details how the 1979 Iranian Revolution uprooted his family and led them far from the place they called home.
Born in 1962, Kadivar was 16 at the...
STAGE
Sixteen-Month Incarceration of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Inspires New London Play
By Tara Biglari
A play inspired by the plight of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – a Thomson Reuters Foundation employee incarcerated in Iran for more than a year and separated from her husband and young daughter – premiered last week at London's The Red Hedgehog performance...
Iranian-American Actor Anthony Azizi Stars in Tony Award Winner
By Laura van Straaten Anthony Azizi is a star of "Oslo," which just won the Tony Award for best play. It’s about the top-secret, high-level meetings between the Palestinians and Israelis in the lead-up to the 1993 Oslo Accords. Azizi himself grew up in...
MUSIC
Iranian Singer Cancels Concert After Female Players Banned from Stage
Benyamin Bahadori – an Iranian pop singer, composer and songwriter – has refused to perform at a concert in Kerman, capital of Kerman Province, after female members of his music group were prevented from appearing on stage.
The concert was scheduled for January 25 at...
Meet Iran’s Top Country Music Band: The Dream Rovers
“What does your average Iranian know about country music?” asked the web site savingcountrymusic.com in a recent article. "Probably not very much, especially due to the repressive regime that rules the country, and rarely lets Western music be heard, let alone performed."
That hasn't stopped...
