Homeyra
Encyclopedia
Parvaneh Amir-Afshari also known as Homeyra is an Iran
ian singer. She is a veteran celebrity of Iran's Golden Years of music. Her voice has been measured to span three octave
s.
, Iran
to an aristocratic
Iranian family. Her family’s distinction is still evident as the name of Amir-Afshari is, to this day among eastern Iranians, synonymous with affluence. Her father was a Malek (Grand Landlord) who owned over 150 towns in Iran. Her family's eminence was later to be an opposing factor in Homeyra's passion
for singing.
She was exposed to Persian music from an early age. Her family often hosted large dinner parties to which Iran's greatest musicians and singers were invited for guest entertainment. Revering other musicians and singers, the young novice became interested in singing. Her father took notice of this and diligently curtailed her exposure further. He also forbade her from performing in presence of non-family members and insisted if she must sing, then she do so only for him. He and the matriarchs of the family saw her singing as a disgrace to the family's name.
At age 16, Homeyra married a German-educated Iranian businessman. He allowed her more freedom and encouraged her to sing professionally. So she took music lessons and also signed up for voice training courses. She secretly attended composer Ali Tajvidi's classes for two years, leading her father to believe she was learning to drive a motor vehicle
.
singer to gain such quick renown throughout Iran with just a hit single
.
The enthusiastic record companies were soon to vie for the copyright
to the song for wider distribution. When it was officially released in an album, Homeyra's father, recognizing her voice, tried a last minute effort to quell her career. He purchased every single album he could find – both legal and pirated copies – to remove the remnants of his daughter's voice from reach. However, some of the copies fell into the hands of loyal fans and he could not stop the furor of Homeyra's fame thereon. He has refused to speak to her ever since and the two became estranged.
She currently continues her music career from Los Angeles
, her home since her exile after the Iranian Revolution
.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian singer. She is a veteran celebrity of Iran's Golden Years of music. Her voice has been measured to span three octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s.
Early life
Homeyra was born on 16 March 1945 in TabrizTabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to an aristocratic
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
Iranian family. Her family’s distinction is still evident as the name of Amir-Afshari is, to this day among eastern Iranians, synonymous with affluence. Her father was a Malek (Grand Landlord) who owned over 150 towns in Iran. Her family's eminence was later to be an opposing factor in Homeyra's passion
Passion (emotion)
Passion is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something....
for singing.
She was exposed to Persian music from an early age. Her family often hosted large dinner parties to which Iran's greatest musicians and singers were invited for guest entertainment. Revering other musicians and singers, the young novice became interested in singing. Her father took notice of this and diligently curtailed her exposure further. He also forbade her from performing in presence of non-family members and insisted if she must sing, then she do so only for him. He and the matriarchs of the family saw her singing as a disgrace to the family's name.
At age 16, Homeyra married a German-educated Iranian businessman. He allowed her more freedom and encouraged her to sing professionally. So she took music lessons and also signed up for voice training courses. She secretly attended composer Ali Tajvidi's classes for two years, leading her father to believe she was learning to drive a motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
.
Overnight fame
Homeyra's leads pulled her into the Iranian music scene soon after her participation in musical lessons. While attending Tajvidi's classes, he composed a song for her and persuaded her to record it as a single for release. Despite her reservations, she agreed and when the song "Sabram Ataa Kon" was played on Iran's radio stations, she became an overnight sensation, and this at age 18. However, in order to disguise herself from the exposure, she chose Homeyra as the name to which this song was to be attributed. It was said this was a first for a debutanteDebutante
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
singer to gain such quick renown throughout Iran with just a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
.
The enthusiastic record companies were soon to vie for the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
to the song for wider distribution. When it was officially released in an album, Homeyra's father, recognizing her voice, tried a last minute effort to quell her career. He purchased every single album he could find – both legal and pirated copies – to remove the remnants of his daughter's voice from reach. However, some of the copies fell into the hands of loyal fans and he could not stop the furor of Homeyra's fame thereon. He has refused to speak to her ever since and the two became estranged.
She currently continues her music career from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, her home since her exile after the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
.
Recent Events
On August 22, 2009, Homeyra had a unique concert with Michael and Pouya in New York. After the presidential election 2009 in Iran, Homeyra sang the song "Jahan Kharan" for all Iranians suffering from the frauds around the elections. Therefore her fans call her "golden stone in persian music". In February 2010 Homeyra announced that she will start a good bye tour very soon called "toure khodahafezi". This tour will be placed in over 50 cities around the world. On March 6, 2010, she performed in Toronto and the concert was sold out. On youtube (Homeyra, Toronto) you can see how excited fans are when Homeyra comes to the stage. The last female singer of the "great generation" is loved by millions and with her unique voice she is one of the few guarantees for a high class level Persian music in our days. Her new album will be released in 2011.Discography
- Ghanari
- Bahar Bahare
- Vaghti ke Eshgh Miad
- Sar Nevesht
- Montazer Bash
- Ham Zaboonam
- Gozashteh
- Golbarg
- Eshgh-O-Erfan
- Entezar
- Bahar-E-Zendeghi
- Darya Kenar
- Darvishan
- Bahar-E-Eshgh
- KhabKhial
- Hedieh
- Mahtab-E-Eshgh