Vigen, Iran’s ‘Sultan of Pop’: Profile
Vigen was Iran’s first male pop star. He was known as “the Sultan of pop,” and one of the first entertainers in the country to perform with a guitar in the 1950s and 1960s.
He...
Bahrain Orders 17,000 School Textbooks Reprinted over “Persian Gulf” Gaffe
DUBAI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Bahrain has ordered 17,000 English school textbooks reprinted for labeling the body of water surrounding the Arab island kingdom as the "Persian Gulf", a political taboo, state news agency...
Architect Farshid Moussavi Collects Medal from Prince Charles, Designs for Harrods
Iranian-born British architect Farshid Moussavi, who was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) honor by the Queen last year, has joined the jury for the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture in...
From Ivy League Campus to Abstract Canvas: A Portrait of the Artist Azadeh Ghotbi
Iranian-born artists often signpost their culture in the artworks that they create. They cover their canvases with Persian calligraphy, replicate motifs found in ancient miniatures, and represent women cloaked in the chador. Azadeh Ghotbi takes a different route: abstraction. Yet her works are no less connected to her country of origin.
Azadeh left Iran when she was a little girl
Letter from 200 Iranian Filmmakers Demands Greater Creative Freedom
A group of 200 filmmakers has sent an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani and the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi, demanding “an end to the current guidelines that require filmmakers...
Shah’s First Wife, Princess Fawzia of Egypt, Is Remembered in Cairo Exhibition
By Ahmad Rafat
Fawzia Fuad (1921–2013) was an Egyptian princess who became the first wife of the late Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1939 when she was only 17 years old. The marriage, officially ended...
Exhibition of Iranian Protest Art Opens in DC, Hosted by NUFDI
By Katty Biglari
“Iran Rising,” an exhibition of Iranian protest art curated by an all-woman team of Iranian-American designers, artists and architects opened in Washington on Saturday Nov. 19, and will run through Nov. 22.
The...
Jafar Panahi Among Contenders for the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or
The Cannes Film Festival announced its lineup late last week, and said the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi -- who is not allowed to leave Iran or to make movies -- was a contender for...
After Live Duet With Female Artist, Musician Ali Ghamsari Banned from Performing
9 Jan- The Iranian authorities have banned the tar virtuoso, songwriter and singer Ali Ghamsari from recording and performing in public after he accompanied the solo vocalist Haleh Seyfizadeh in a concert on January...
Composing the Track for “1979 Revolution”: Interview with Nima Fakhrara
By Fred Parvaneh
Los Angeles resident Nima Fakhrara is one of three Iranian score composers in the film, television and video-game composition industry. Fakhrara has worked on a number of hit video-game scores including “Detroit:...
