Leila Kasra ( fa, لیلا کسری) also known as Hedieh ( fa, هدیه), (March 27, 1939 – May 16, 1989) was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet and lyricist who has written lyrics for notable artists including

Ebi Ebrahim Hamedi ( fa, اِبراهیم حامدی, also Romanized as "Ebrāhim Hāmedi"; born 1949), better known by his stage name Ebi (Persian: ), is an Iranian pop singer who first started his career in Tehran, gaining fame as part of a ban ...

Dariush Dariush ( fa, داریوش; also spelled ''Darioush'', ''Daryoush'' or ''Daryoosh'') is a common Persian male given name in Iran. Dariush is composed of ''dāraya-'' old+ ''vash-'' ood meaning "holding firm the good". It was the throne name of D ...

Sattar Sattar ( ar, ستار ) is a male Muslim given name and surname. It occurs in the compound form *Abdul Sattar, where further details can be found. People with the name in its simple form include: Given name *Sattar (singer) (born 1949) birth n ...

, Vigen,

Moein Moeen or Moein or Moien is a given name and surname. It is a Quranic name which means: helper, supporter, or provider of refuge. Notable persons with the name include: Persons with the given name * Moein (singer) (born 1951), Iranian singer * ...

Mahasti Eftekhar Dadehbala), and others Eftekhar ( fa, افتخار). ( fa, افتخار دده‌بالا; 16 November 1946 – 25 June 2007), known by her stage name Mahasti ( fa, مهستی), was an Iranian singer of Persian classical, folk, and pop ...

Andy Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...

Homeyra ) , alias = Homeyra, Homayra, Homeira , birth_date = , birth_place = Tehran, Imperial Iran , origin = , genre = Persian traditional music, Fusion music, Pop music , occupation = Singer , ...

, Morteza,

Hassan Shamaizadeh Hassan Shamaizadeh ( fa, حسن شماعی‌زاده, also Romanized as Hasan-é Šamâ'izâde; born January 15, 1943 in Isfahan) is an Iranian pop singer, songwriter and saxophonist. Over the past three decades, he composed songs for artists ...

Siavash Shams Siavash Shams ( fa, سیاوش شمس) (also known as Siavash Sahne ( fa, سیاوش صحنه) due to his hit song ''Sahneh'') (born 26 January 1963) is an Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers ...

and many more. She was best known for writing more than 30 songs for

Hayedeh Ma'soumeh Dadehbala ( fa, معصومه دده‌بالا; 10 April 1942 – 20 January 1990), known professionally as Hayedeh ( fa, هایده), was an Iranian singer with a contralto vocal range. Known for her wide range of voice, her career span ...

Biography

Leila Kasra was born on March 27, 1939, in Tehran. After graduating from high school in Tehran, Kasra moved to England to continue her education where she got a bachelor's degree in English literature from

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

. When she returned to Iran, she was hired in the Iran Petrochemical Commercial Company, but she left the job to pursue a career in poetry. In 1956 she wrote columns for the magazines ''Omide Iran'', ''Roshanfekr'', ''Etelate Banouan''. In 1959 her first poem was published in ''Etelate Banouan''. In 1969 Kasra published two poetry books. One of her books co-won the Television poetry contest and she shared the award with

Manouchehr Atashi Manouchehr Atashi ( fa, منوچهر آتشی) (September 25, 1931 – November 20, 2005) was a Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority eth ...

. In 1975 after Fereydoun Khoshnoud's request Kasra started writing songs and became a lyricist for artists like Elaheh and Hayedeh. The first song she wrote was "Doayeh Sahar" sung by Hayedeh. Before the revolution, she wrote famous memorable songs for artists like Hayedeh, Nooshafarin, Elaheh, Ebi, Sattar, Mahasti, Golpa and Nasrin. Like many Persian artists Kasra moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

after the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

. After the revolution, Kasra chose to write songs under the name "Hedieh". She wrote countless memorable songs for many artists, mostly for Hayedeh, who was a very close friend of hers. She also wrote many songs for new artists like

Andy & Kouros Andy & Kouros ( Persian: اندی و کورس) were an Iranian pop duo formed together in 1985, composed of Andranik "Andy" Madadian and Kouros Shahmiri. Andy and Kouros released four albums: ''Khastegary'' (1985), ''Parvaz'' (1987), the hugely ...

, Shohreh, Siavash and many more. In 1986 Leila Kasra wrote the song "Tanine Solh" about the Iran–Iraq War, and it was performed by Andy & Kouros, Fataneh, Moein, and Morteza. Two of the songs she had written and were sung by

were used in the soundtrack of the 2003 motion picture '' House of Sand and Fog''.

Personal life

Kasra was married to Eskandar Afshar and had three sons Jahanshah, Amir-Pasha and Alidad. Her youngest son Ali Afshar is an actor and producer in Los Angeles.

Illness and death

In 1977 Kasra was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the following years she was constantly battling breast cancer. The song "Gheseye Man" performed by Hayedeh and written by Kasra in 1984 is about her suffering and her illness. On Tuesday May 16, 1989, after a twelve-year battle with breast cancer, and seventeen surgeries Leila Kasra died in Century City Hospital in Los Angeles. On Sunday May 21, 1989 Kasra was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Her funeral was attended by many artists such as

Homeyra ) , alias = Homeyra, Homayra, Homeira , birth_date = , birth_place = Tehran, Imperial Iran , origin = , genre = Persian traditional music, Fusion music, Pop music , occupation = Singer , ...

Shahram Shabpareh Shahram Shabpareh ( fa, شهرام شب‌پره) is an Iranian Pop singer and songwriter. Career He started his career as a drum player in the early 1960s when he was 13. In the mid 1960s at the age of 17, he formed a band of his own named "R ...

, Alireza Amirghassemi, Morteza, Soosan and many more.

Some of the lyrics written by Leila Kasra (Hedieh)

* "Asireh Tou" by

* "Ashiouneh" by Hayedeh * "Baadeh Foroush" by Hayedeh * "Dastayeh Tou" by Hayedeh * "Dele Divooneh" by Hayedeh * "Doayeh Sahar" by Hayedeh * "Eshareh" by Hayedeh * "Ey Khoda" by Hayedeh * "Ey Zendegi Salam" by Hayedeh * "Ghalbam Gereft" by Hayedeh * "Ghesseyeh Man" by Hayedeh * "Jadoo" by Hayedeh * "Kharabati" by Hayedeh * "Man Mikham Be Khouneyeh Khoda Beram" by Hayedeh * "Nameh" by Hayedeh * "Nargeseh Shiraz" by Hayedeh * "Parishoon" by Hayedeh * "Paaeez" by Hayedeh * "Sayeh Eshgh" by Hayedeh * "Shabeh Meykhooneh" by Hayedeh * "Shabeh Eshgh" by Hayedeh * "Shabeh Eyd" by Hayedeh * "Siah Cheshmoon" by Hayedeh * "Sogand" by Hayedeh * "Tarikheh Eshgh" by Hayedeh * "Tou Keh Nisti" by Hayedeh * "Vay Beh Halesh" by Hayedeh * "Vasat Mimiram" by Hayedeh * "Ya Rab" by Hayedeh * "Atreh Bahar" by

* "Asir" by Mahasti * "Bas Kon" by Mahasti * "Bi Mohabat" by Mahasti * "Delam" by Mahasti * "Ba Tou Ashegh" by Mahasti * "Key Miad" by Mahasti * "Khoobe man" by Mahasti * "Modara" by Mahasti * "Ghameh Donya" by Mahasti * "Shakhe Nabat" by Mahasti * "Taghsireh Toust" by Mahasti * "Ageh Dashtam Tou Ro" by

* "Chegooneh Chegooneh" by Moein * "Bi Bi Gol 2" by Moein * "Delam Gereft Az Asemoon" Moein * "Namaaz" by Moein * "Safar" by Moein * "Safayeh Ashk" by Moein * "Tanaz" by Moein * "Vay Beh Halesh" by Moein * "Kolbeh Man" by

* "Geryeyeh Masti" by Ebi * "Gharibeh" by Ebi * "Ghased" by Ebi * "Gheseye Eshgh" by Ebi * "Shab Mardeh Tanhaei" by Ebi * "Shirin Shirin" by

* "Tekyeh Bar Baad" by Dariush * "Alameh Eshgh" by

Homeyra ) , alias = Homeyra, Homayra, Homeira , birth_date = , birth_place = Tehran, Imperial Iran , origin = , genre = Persian traditional music, Fusion music, Pop music , occupation = Singer , ...

* "Ine Donya" by

Homeyra ) , alias = Homeyra, Homayra, Homeira , birth_date = , birth_place = Tehran, Imperial Iran , origin = , genre = Persian traditional music, Fusion music, Pop music , occupation = Singer , ...

* "Darya Kenar" by

Homeyra ) , alias = Homeyra, Homayra, Homeira , birth_date = , birth_place = Tehran, Imperial Iran , origin = , genre = Persian traditional music, Fusion music, Pop music , occupation = Singer , ...

* "Aroosi" by

* "Amou Norouz" by Sattar * "Ashti" by Sattar * "Che Ghashangeh Asheghi" by Sattar * "Haraas" by Sattar * "Gol Naz" by Sattar * "Madar" by Sattar * "Sefid o Siah" by Sattar * "Sedayeh Zangoolehaa" by Sattar * "Dele Ghafel" by

Viguen Viguen (born Viguen Derderian, fa, ویگن دردریان, ''Viguen Derderyân''; hy, Վիգէն Տէրտէրեան, ''Vigen Tērtērian''; 23 November 1929 – 26 October 2003), known as "King of Iranian pop" and the "Sultan of Jazz", was an ...

* "Hazarateh Adam" by Viguen * "Majnoon"by

Aref Arif or Aref may refer to: *Arif, a local name for the Rif mountains in northern Morocco * Arif (given name) * Arif (surname) *‘arif, a concept in Sufism, see Ma'rifa Maʿrifa (Arabic: “interior knowledge”) is the mystical knowledge of God ...

* "Ay Ashegha"by Aref * "Khosham Khosham" by Hassan Shamaizadeh * "Az Hamoon Jadeh Bia" by Hassan Shamaizadeh * "Balla" by Andy&Kouros * "Akheh Nisti Ashegh" by Andy&Kouros * "Tou" by Andy&Kouros * "Nemiyay" by Andy&Kouros * "Atish" by Andy&Kouros * "Eshgheh Masmoum" by Andy&Kouros * "Salame Aasheghooneh" by

* "Sahraei" by Andy * "Tanine Solh" by Andy * "Aziz" by Morteza * "Baghe Asal" by Morteza * "Dobareh Eshgh" by Morteza * "Saheb" by Morteza * "Jalad" by Morteza * "Gole Sharab" by Morteza * "Salame Aasheghouneh" by Morteza * "Vaveyla" by Morteza * "Yaro Yar" by Morteza * "Ehsaseh Zan" by Shohreh * "Yavashaki" by Shohreh * "Sheytounak" by Shohreh * "Barikala" by

Shahram Solati Shahram ( persian, شهرام) is a masculine Persian given name. The name is made of two parts, 'shah' meaning king and 'ram' meaning doe (female deer). The meaning behind a "king of female deer" implies a benevolent ruler who cares for their sub ...

* "Honey" by Shahram Solati * "Khoda Hafez" by Shahram Solati * "Mard Eshgh" by Shahram Solati * "Khanoomeh" by Shahram Solati * "Goleh Aftab Gardoon" by Nooshafarin * "Ghasedak" by Nooshafarin * "Kakoli" by Nooshafarin * "Rahebeh" by Nooshafarin * "Sarzamineh Shab" by Nooshafarin * "Hava" by Nooshafarin * "Male Mani" by

* "Dokhtar Irouni" by Siavash Shams * "Naaz Nakon" by Siavash Shams * "Ghahro Ashti(Zendegi)" by Siavash Shams * "Nagou Kieh" by Siavash Shams * "Hamsayeha" by Siavash Shams * "Tanine Solh (Solhe Sepido Abi)" by Andy & Kouros, Fataneh, Moein, and Morteza * "Hamraz" by Habib * "Ghesseyeh Mehrabouni" by Habib * "Chang" by Farzin * "Mashougheh" by Farzin * "Migam Na by Hobob * "Salame Asheghoune" by Hobob * "Beegharare Eshgh" by Hobob * "Beegharare Eshgh" by Nahid * "Kolbeh (2009)" by

Kamran & Hooman Kamran ( fa, کامران ''Kāmrān'') is a Persian male given name meaning 'prosperous, fortunate'. The name is commonly used in Iran and Azerbaijan, in addition to Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkey, Pakistan. Variants include Kâmran and Kam ...

feat. Ebi

References

Leila Kasra's Biography

Leila Kasra Death

Leila Kasra(aka Hedieh) House of Sand And Fog Soundtrack

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kasra, Leila 1939 births 1989 deaths Persian-language poets 20th-century Iranian poets Iranian lyricists Iranian women writers Persian-language women poets Deaths from breast cancer Deaths from cancer in California People from Tehran Alumni of King's College London Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century poets 20th-century women writers Iranian emigrants to the United States

Biography

Personal life

Illness and death

Some of the lyrics written by Leila Kasra (Hedieh)

See also

References