Getty Villa’s Open-Air Persian Concerts Feature Fared Shafinury, Awardwinning Setar Virtuoso
By Fred Parvaneh
On June 25, 2022, Farhang Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to celebrate and promote Iranian art and culture, presented their second concert in a series at the Getty Villa’s open-air amphitheater. The...
Iran Arrests Four Female Vocalists; Women Face More and More Constraints
By Kayhan Life Staff
Authorities in Minab, in the southern province of Hormozgan, arrested four female singers, charging them with working as DJs at a wedding, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported on June...
INTERVIEW: Israeli-Iranian Singer Liraz Charhi to Debut Her Album “Zan” In London Concert
By Ahmad Rafat
Liraz Charhi, a 31-year-old Israeli Singer of Iranian descent, will debut her album Zan (“Woman”) at a concert on May 19 in London.
Born in Ramla, Israel, into a Persian Jewish family, she...
INTERVIEW: Singer Niaz Nawab Fuses Persian Poetry With Western Sound
By Fred Parvaneh
Niaz Nawab is an Iranian-born singer, songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, and music teacher currently residing in Paris.
As a scion of one of Iran’s most prominent musical families, Niaz was spotted early on as...
INTERVIEW: Hollywood Soundtrack Composer, Niyaz Founder Loga Ramin Torkian
By Fred Parvaneh
Loga Ramin Torkian is an Iranian-born instrumentalist and composer and co-founder of the electronic-acoustic World Music groups Niyaz and Axiom of Choice.
Niyaz blends medieval Sufi poetry and folk songs from Iran, India...
Singing About Hijab: Pop Vocalist Golazin Speaks to Kayhan Life
By Ahmad Rafat
Golazin Ardestani, better known as “Golazin” or “Gola,” is an Iranian-born Trap pop and urban singer. She has recently released her latest single, Haghmeh, which is about the mandatory hijab imposed on Iranian...
Googoosh Embarks on World Tour, Releases Album 21 Years After Her Comeback
By Nazanine Nouri
Googoosh, one of the most influential Iranian pop artists of all time and a national treasure to generations of Iranians, is celebrating the 21st anniversary of her return to the world stage...
EXCLUSIVE: The Sweet Destiny of Arash Sobhani, The Kiosk Band Leader Speaks to...
By Ahmad Rafat
Arash Sobhani is the founder of the pioneering Iranian rock group Kiosk. An architecture graduate, he formed his band before moving to the U.S. Kiosk was one of the prominent bands in...
Half-Iranian Eurovision Contestant Barbara Pravi Draws Comparisons With Edith Piaf
By Nazanine Nouri
Barbara Pravi is a half-Serbian, half-Iranian singer-songwriter who finished second in the Eurovision Song Contest last month after representing France with her song “Voila.” It was France’s highest score in 30 years,...
Silenced Musicians of Iran Come Together on Homanity Album
Music in Iran dates back thousands of years. Archeological records from the 3rd millennium BC shown that some of the earliest complex instruments, such as the harp, were played there.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder...