Ma'soumeh Dadehbala (; April 10, 1942 – January 20, 1990), known professionally as Hayedeh (, ), was an Iranian singer with a

contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...

vocal range. Known for her wide range of voice, her career spanned over two decades, and she has been widely described as one of the most popular and influential musicians of Iran.

Early life and career

Ma'soumeh Dadehbala was born on April 10, 1942 in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. She was the elder sister of another popular singer

Mahasti Eftekhar Dadehbala (; November 16, 1946 – June 25, 2007), known by her stage name Mahasti (), was an Iranian singer of Persian classical, folk, and pop music with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. She was active for more than four decades. Early ...

. Her professional career began in 1968 as a singer on a

Persian traditional music Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the classical music of Iran (historically known as '' Persia''). It consists of characteristics developed through ...

program in

Radio Tehran Radio Tehran () is a radio station in Tehran, Iran, broadcasting content directed mainly at Tehran and Tehran Province. It is fully owned and operated by the Iranian government through the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting The Islamic Rep ...

called " Golhâye Rangârang" ( "Colorful Flowers") directed by Davoud Pirnia. Hayedeh studied '' Avaz'' (Persian vocal music) with the Persian violinist and composer

Ali Tajvidi Ali Tajvidi (; November 7, 1919 – March 15, 2006) was an Iranian musician, composer, violinist, songwriter, and music professor at the School of National Music and Tehran University. He composed more than 150 songs and discovered and produced for ...

. "Azadeh" (1968), which was composed by Ali Tajvidi, with lyrics by Rahi Moayeri, was Hayedeh's first official hit and debut also. It was first performed in 1968 on

with the Gol-ha Orchestra. In this year she released another titled ''Raftam'' (1968). In the 1970s, Hayedah added

Persian pop music Iranian pop music or Persian pop music () refers to pop music originated in Iran, with songs mainly in Persian and other regional Persian dialects of the country and region. History Early Iranian popular music Following the invention of radio i ...

to her classical Persian repertoire. In this period Hayedeh worked with several songwriters, such as Fereydoun Khoshnoud, Jahanbakhsh Pazouki,

Anoushiravan Rohani Anoushiravan Rohani (; born July 24, 1939), also spelled Anooshiravan Rowhani, is an Iranian pianist and composer. He is known for composing and conducting contemporary classical music, as well as pop music with light classical leaning. He has a ...

and

Mohammad Heydari Mohammad Heidari (; December 23, 1937 – August 23, 2016) was a Persian Santoor (Persian instrument), santur player and songwriter. Career After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Mohammad Heidari left the country for Italy and a few years later mo ...

. "Bezan Tar", " Gol-e Sang", "Nowrouz Aamad", and "Soghati" were among her works during this period. With Mahasti, Hayedeh recorded duets such as "Doa & Delam Mikhad" (I pray and I want) it was successful for release.

Leaving Iran

On August 29, 1978, Hayedeh immigrated to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The next year, Iran underwent an

Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Im ...

. She stayed there for three years and moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1982 to continue her singing career.

Caltex Records Caltex Records () is an American record label and division of Caltex Music based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1980 by Iranian American immigrant Mehrdad Pakravan. The label focuses on Iranian music. In 1994, the label represente ...

, an Iranian recording label, supported Hayedeh in her career. Hayedeh lived in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

from 1982 until the end of her life. The area became a hub for the Persian (Iranian) community in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

since the 1980s. Hayedeh released many successful albums during this time, and all her songs were bootlegged in Iran. Hayedeh's political and nostalgic songs such as "Rouzaye Roshan", "Ghesseyeh Man", "Zendegi" became very popular with the Iranian

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

community. Her songwriters and producers in the United States were mostly Sadegh Nojouki and

. Songwriters she worked with were Ardalan Sarfaraz, Homa Mir-Afshar and

Bijan Samandar Bijan Samandar (June 1, 1941 – January 8, 2019; Persian: بیژن سمندر) was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet, lyricist and Tar player who has written lyrics for notable artists including Ebi, Dariush, Sattar, Vigen, Moein, Mahasti, S ...

. Songwriter who wrote more than 30 of Hayedeh's songs and hits was her best friend

Leila Kasra Leila Kasra (‎; 1939–1989) also known as Hedieh (), (March 27, 1939 – May 16, 1989) was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet and lyricist who has written lyrics for notable artists including Ebi, Dariush, Sattar, Vigen, Moein, Maha ...

(a.k.a. Hedieh), who was featured in many of her albums reciting her poems. During her exile, Hayedeh regularly appeared on the Los Angeles-based Persian-language TV channels IRTV, Jaam-E-Jam and Jonbesh TV.

Death and burial

On January 20, 1990, the day after a performance at the Casablanca Club, near

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, Hayedeh died from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. She was 47 years old. She had a history of

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

and

hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...

. Thousands of fans attended Hayedeh's funeral in Los Angeles. On January 24, 1990, she was buried at the

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary is a cemetery and Morgue, mortuary located in the Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood area of Los Angeles. It includes a crematory for cremation services. Its location is at 1218 Glendon Av ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. She had been recording an album shortly before her death and was due to finish recording it after she returned from her concert in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Every year, her fans honor her memory on her birthday or the anniversary of her death in the virtual space or at her grave. Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery management named Hayedeh funeral as one of the largest funerals of the 20th century. On April 10, 2022, at the same time as Haydeh's 80th birthday, her tombstone was changed in the presence of her family and fans. Also, the mayor of Los Angeles praised and thanked her for her years of artistic activities and called her a part of the cultural heritage of the city of Los Angeles.

Legacy

Hayedeh's albums are still best sellers and her songs are played on Persian TV and radio channels outside Iran. Many of her songs are sung by Iranian 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. According to Prof. Erik Nakhjavani in ''Encyclopædia Iranica'': "Analogous 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." Iranian pianist and journalist

Pejman Akbarzadeh Pejman Akbarzadeh (, born 1980) is a Persian-Dutch pianist, journalist, music historian and documentary maker. Early life Born in Shiraz in 1980, Akbarzadeh had his first music lessons at the age of nine from Gholam Loghmani and later from Bahr ...

made a documentary '' Hayedeh: Legendary Persian Diva'' about Hayedeh which was screened in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

in January 2009 for the first time. The documentary had its US premiere in May 2009 at the

Noor Iranian Film Festival The Noor Iranian Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Los Angeles, California, founded by cultural producer Siamak Ghahremani and co-founder Anthony Azizi in 2007. The festival's namesake comes from the word Nur, also spelled Noor, mea ...

in Los Angeles and nominated as the Best Documentary at the festival. The film was also screened at 9th International Exile Film Festival (Sweden) and 4th

Iranian Film Festival The Iranian Film Festival (IFF) was a film festival held annually in the Netherlands. Until now, the festival has taken place in Utrecht (2007), Rotterdam (2008), and in 2009 the festival will take place in filmtheatre De Fabriek in Zaandam. ...

in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Tehran-based FARS News Agency (close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard) cited the documentary as a film on the "Corrupt monarchist singer Hayedeh". The documentary was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

on 20 January 2010, the 20th anniversary of Hayedeh's death, by "Persian Dutch Network" in Amsterdam. Various American universities have streamed the documentary on their server for educational purposes as well. In April 2019 the Los Angeles City Council recognized and celebrated Hayedeh, one of the most celebrated singers in Persian culture.

Partial discography

Studio albums

* ''Azadeh'' (1968) * ''Raftam'' (1968) * ''Nasepasi'' (1969) * ''Afsaneh Shirin'' (1970) – with Shajarian * ''Yaarab'' (1986) * ''Hamkhooneh'' (1984) – with Viguen * ''Shabeh Eshgh'' (1985) * ''Shanehayat'' (1986) * ''Sogand'' (1988) * ''Safar'' (1988) – with Moein * ''Ey Zendegi Salaam'' (1989) * ''Golhayeh Ghorbat'' (1990) – with Moein * ''Bezan Taar'' (1991) * ''Kharabati'' (1991) * ''Golvaazheh'' (1991) * ''Khoda Hafez'' (1991) * ''Paadeshahe Khoobaan'' (1992) * ''Roozaayeh Roshan'' (1992) * ''Shabeh Asheghan'' – with

Sattar Sattar or Settar () 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 name ...

* ''Naa Shanidehaa'' * ''Faryad'' * ''Bolboli Ke Khaamosh Shod'' * ''Aamadanet Mahaaleh'' * ''Owje Sedaa'' * ''Mehmaan'' * ''Hayf'' * ''Taranehyeh Saal''

Compilation

* ''Best of Hayedeh'' * ''40 Golden Hits of Hayedeh'' * ''40 Hayedeh Golden Songs'', Vol I * ''Hayedeh Golden Songs'', Vol II * ''Shirin Jaan, Hayedeh 4'' * ''Dashtestani, Hayedeh 5 * ''Afsaneh Shirin, Hayedeh 8''

References

External links

Documentary website
(in English & Persian)
Hayedeh live performance, National TV, Tehran, 1977
(Video) * * {{Authority control Contraltos 1942 births 1990 deaths Singers from Tehran Iranian folk singers Caltex Records artists Taraneh Records artists Persian-language singers of Iran Iranian classical singers Iranian women pop singers Iranian singer-songwriters American women pop singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century Iranian women singers 20th-century American women singers Iranian emigrants to the United States Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States