Hayedeh

Hayedeh
Hayedeh in 1977
Background information
Also known as	Ma'soumeh Dadebala
Born	April 10, 1942(1942-04-10) Tehran[1], Iran
Died	January 20, 1990(1990-01-20) (aged 47) San Francisco, USA
Genres	Classical, Pop, Folk, Traditional
Occupations	Singer
Years active	1968–1990
Labels	Taraneh Records, Caltex Records, Avang Records
Associated acts	Mahasti

Hayedeh (Persian: هایده) or Ma'soumeh Dadehbala (Persian: معصومه دده بالا), (April 10, 1942, Tehran – January 20, 1990, San Francisco) was a Persian classical and Pop singer with a contralto vocal range. In a career spanning more than 20 years, she had many hits. More than two decades after her death, Hayedeh is considered one of the most influential and iconic Persian vocalists and recognized as one of the culture's most popular 20th century singers.^[2]

Early life and career

Hayedeh was born in Tehran.^{[3] [4]} She is the older sister of another famous Persian singer, Mahasti.

Hayedeh's professional career began in 1968 at the age of twenty six as a singer on a Persian traditional music Tehran Radio program called "Golhaa-yeh Rangarang" (Colorful Flowers)( گلهای رنگارنگ) directed by Davoud Pirnia. Hayedeh studied Avaz (Persian vocal music) with the famous Persian violinist and composer Ali Tajvidi. Hayedeh performed her first hit song "Azadeh" which was composed by Tajvidi on the lyrics of Rahi Mo'ayeri. Performing this work with Golha Orchestra in 1968 at Radio Tehran introduced Hayedeh's vocal talent to Persians who warmly received it.^[5] "Azadeh" which was composed by music by Ali Tajvidi, and was written by Rahi Moayeri was Hayedeh's first official hit. It was first performed in 1968 on Radio Tehran with the Gol-ha Orchestra and was later released by Ahang-e Rooz Records.

Hayedeh and Anoushiravan Rohani at the National Iranian Radio and TV, Tehran, 1975

In the 1970s Hayedah added Persian pop music to her classical Persian repertoire. In this period Hayedeh worked with several songwriters, such as Fereydoun Khoshnoud, Jahanbakhsh Pazouki, Anoushiravan Rohani and Mohammad Heydari. "Bezan Tar", "Gol-e Sang", "Nowrouz Aamad", "Eide Tou" and "Soghati" were among her memorable works during this period.

After The Revolution and In Exile

On August 29, 1978 shortly before the Iranian Revolution, Hayedeh emigrated to the United Kingdom. She stayed there for three years and moved to the United States in 1982 to continue her career and live close to her sister Mahasti.

Hayedeh lived in Los Angeles from 1982 until the end of her life. The growth of the Persian community in Southern California due to the increasing number of people leaving Iran after the revolution bolstered Hayedeh's career in the 1980s. Heyedeh released many successful albums during this time and many songs of her were bootlegged in Iran as well. Hayedeh's political and nostalgic songs such as "Rouza-ye Roshan Khodahafez" and Faryad became very popular with the Persian (Iranian) exile community. Some of her other hits were "Shabeh Eshgh", "Gol Vajeh", "Ravi", "Bahaneh", "Eshareh", "Ghesseyeh Man", "Zendegi" and "Nargeseh Shirazi".

Hayedeh's songwriters in the US were mostly Farid Zoland, Sadegh Nojouki, Mohammad Heydari and Andranik. Lyricists she worked with were Ardalan Sarfaraz, Homa Mir-Afshar, Iraj Razmjou but the lyricist who wrote most of Hayedeh's songs and hits was her best friend Leila Kasra (a.k.a. Hadieh). She was featured in two of her albums reading her songs. Kasra died in 1989 a few months prior to Hayedeh's death, after a long struggle with breast cancer.

During the 80's Hayedeh played sold-out venues in the US, Canada, Europe, and other places in the world. Hayedeh regularly appeared on the Los Angeles Persian TV channels such as Jaam-E-Jam TV and IR TV. In some of her TV programs. Hayedeh criticized Iran's fundamental regime and was a supporter of monarchy.

Documentary

Main article: Hayedeh Legendary Persian Diva

Hayedeh documentary premiere in Amsterdam, January 2009

Persian pianist and journalist Pejman Akbarzadeh has made a documentary about Hayedeh which was screened in Amsterdam in January 2009 for the first time.

The documentary had its US premier in May 2009 at Noor Film Festival in Los Angeles and nominated as the "best documentary" at the Festival.^[6] Hayedeh Legendary Persian Diva was also screened at 9th International Exile Film Festival (Sweden), 4th Iranian Film Festival (The Netherlands) and Austrian Film Archive in Vienna.^[7] In September 2009 the semi-official Fars News Agency in Tehran criticized Pejman Akbarzadeh for making a film about the "corrupt monarchist singer, Hayedeh".

Hayedeh documentary has been released on 20 January 2010, the 20th death anniversary of Hayedeh. The DVD has been released by Persian Dutch Network in Amsterdam.^[8]

Personal life

Hayedeh married and divorced three times and had three children named Kamran, Keyvan and Noushin Nouri, all of whom live in the US. Her eldest grandson "Soheil", who is the first born son of Keyvan Nouri, is currently pursuing a career as a freelance composer in Los Angeles. The public fascination with Hayedeh's personal life, as is true for all great performers, attracted a great deal of scrutiny of her private affairs. However, as is customary, most of Haydeh's so-called trivia were based on rumors.

Death

Hayedeh's gravestone in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery

On the afternoon of Saturday January 20, 1990, the day after her concert at the Casablanca Club in San Francisco, California, Hayedeh died from a heart attack at the age of 47. Hayedeh had complained of discomfort since the morning but her doctor in Los Angeles had assured her that it was nothing serious. Hayedeh had a history of heart problem, diabetes and hypertension. She also had a history of alcohol and drug abuse,^[9] and was a smoker which led to her poor health shortly before her death. Her father was also a diabetic who died from a heart attack. Her two older brothers died of heart attacks, as well. She also dealt with depression after being exiled from Iran up until her death.

Hayedeh's death shocked and saddened Persians around the world. On January 24, 1990, Hayedeh was buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Her funeral was attended by thousands and most of the Persian singers and entertainers in exile.

Khosrow Motarjemi, a Persian IT expert in California, recorded a video of this three and a half hour concert, which for unknown reasons has never been officially released. That night Hayedeh told the audience: "Life is like an express train...I am going to the House of God. Who knows what will happen in the future; I may not be alive tomorrow...", then she performed one of her last songs, "Man Mikham Be Khoune ye Khoda Beram" (I want to go to the House of God). The song’s lyricist, Leila Kasra (Hedieh) who was Hayedeh's best friend, died of cancer a few months before Hayedeh.

Hayedeh was recording an album shortly before her death and was due to finish recording it after she returned from her concert in San Francisco. Hayedeh was last interviewed one week before her death. The magazine which had the interview was released a day after her death, the issue became a bestseller. In the interview Hayedeh said that she was tired of rumors about her and said that she was going to continue her work and expand it even more.

Legacy

Hayedeh and Mehyar Bahraminasab (tombak player), Hamburg, 1988

Hayedeh's albums are ageless masterpieces^{[citation needed]} and are still best sellers. Her songs are constantly played on Persian TV and radio channels. Many covers of her songs are sung by famous Persian pop singers. Houshmand Aghili performed Hayedeh’s "Sarab," Parviz Rahman Panah remixed her "Saal", Shahla Sarshar performed a tragic song called "In Memory of Hayedeh," singer Amir did a cover of Hayedeh's song "Soghati" in 2008 and Mahasti performed three songs in memory of her late sister.

In 2010 Rastin did a cover on her song "Saghi". She is considered the queen of Persian music by most Iranians. To this day she still is one of the few Persian female vocalist with a contralto voice.

According to Prof. Erik Nakhjavani in Encyclopædia Iranica: "Analogues to Delkash, before her, Hayedeh sang with technical authority and passionate energy. Her laryngeal control made it possible for her to produce a series of graceful vibrato and glissando vocalizations required by the Avaz Persian vocal music. She could smoothly pass from the upper reaches of her alto voice to the lower, fuller, and darker range of the contralto. This mixture of strong laryngeal strength and learned vocal technique gave her alto-contralto voice a rare, powerful resonance and texture in the performance of the Avaz. Furthermore an acute sense for musical timing, the rhythmic flow of vocal music, affective musical phrasing, and poetic delivery enabled her to express and interpret effectively any songs she sang."^[10]

As of 2007 Hayedeh's albums are sold on Itunes.

Partial discography

• Gol Vaajeh
• Shabe Eshgh
• Sogand
• Bezan Taar
• Ay Zendegi Salam
• Shanehayat
• Nashanideha
• Kharabati
• Ya Rab
• Padeshaheh Khooban
• Ruzhaye Roshan
• Shahre Ashoub
• Ghesseye Man
• Aroosak

See also

• Ali Tajvidi
• Leila Kasra
• Farid Zoland
• Sadegh Nojouki
• Mahasti

References

1. ^ http://hayedehdocumentary.com/en/component/content/article/1/57-hayedeh-at-a-glance.html
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ http://hayedehdocumentary.com/en/component/content/article/1/57-hayedeh-at-a-glance.html
4. ^ http://hayedeh.webng.com/
5. ^ http://www.payvand.com/news/06/jan/1140.html
6. ^ http://hayedehdocumentary.com/home/en/synopsis.html
7. ^ http://filmarchiv.at/show_content.php?action=showsingle&pr_id=2504&pr_filter_monat=05&pr_filter_jahr=2011&pr_such_jahr=0&pr_such_begriff=
8. ^ http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jan/1181.html
9. ^ Hayedeh
10. ^ http://www.iranica.com/articles/hayeda

• In Memory of the Persian Legendary Diva HAYEDEH (1942–1990) by Pejman Akbarzadeh (Payvand News)
• Goodbye Daylight by Pejman Akbarzadeh, Persian Heritage Magazine, Winter 2005.
• [2] Hayedeh Biography.

Mammatus

External links

• Hayedeh Documentary Project Website (English & Persian)
• Hayedeh... at a Glance (Hayedeh biography in English)
• Hayedeh and a Documentary About Her (DW/Iranian.com, in English)
• Speaking of Hayedeh and a God Given Voice (by Hooman Khalatbari, BBC Persian)
• "Hayedeh...", Pejman Akbarzadeh brings out the legendary singer's world in its full dimensions Iranian.com (English)
• Persian-Israeli singer Rita performs Hayedeh's "Gol-e Sangam"
• 15 Years After Hayedeh's Death (by Mahmoud Khoshnam, BBC Persian)
• A Diva from Persia: Rise and Fall of Hayedeh by Noam Ben-Zeev, Haaretz Daily (in Hebrew)

Persondata
Name	Hayedeh
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 10, 1942
Place of birth
Date of death	January 20, 1990
Place of death