Mahsa Vahdat (in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

مهسا وحدت) (born 29 October 1973,

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

) is a Persian classical and world music

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

. Mahsa Vahdat's music style is contemporary expression inspired by old traditional and folk and regional music of Persia/Iran that she developed for many years and it is the result of work with many musicians from Iran and other countries. She writes most of her songs. In her music she also developed dialogue between other cultures in a high artistic quality and she got a huge response internationally. The text of her work is mostly from classical and contemporary Persian poetry such as the works by

Hafez Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī ( fa, خواجه شمس‌‌الدین محمّد حافظ شیرازی), known by his pen name Hafez (, ''Ḥāfeẓ'', 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "Hafiz", ...

and

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...

. She has released materials with her sister Marjan Vahdat (in

مرجان وحدت).Independent Music Awards: Mahsa Vahdat & Marjan Vahdat
/ref> as in albums ''Songs from a Persian Garden'', ''I Am Eve'' and ''Twinklings of Hope''.

Life

After learning to play piano, she studied traditional Persian singing under Pari Meleki and Mehdi Fallah. She also studied

setar A setar ( fa, سه‌تار, ) is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more than two and a half octa ...

with Ramin Kakavand and Masoud Shoari. In 1993, she entered

Tehran University The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

obtaining a BA in Music from the university's music faculty, working alongside Sharif Lotfi,

Ahmad Pejman Ahmad Pejman ( fa, احمد پژمان ; born 1935), also spelled as Ahmad Pezhman, is an Iranian classical composer who resides in the United States. Pejman is notable for his operatic and symphonic works. Biography Born in 1935 in Lar, Ira ...

, Hooshang Zarif, Behnam Vohdani, Abdorreza Sajadi, Houshang Kamkar, and Mohammad Reza Darvishi. As women are not allowed to sing in public as a solo singer after 1979 Islamic Revolution, most of Mahsa Vahdat's albums were recorded outside Iran where she enjoys great fame with the

Iranian diaspora Iranian diaspora refers to Iranian people or those who are of Iranian ancestry living outside Iran.world music circles. In Tehran she teaches Persian vocal music in her home.

Career

Following her participation in ''

Lullabies from the Axis of Evil ''Lullabies from the Axis of Evil'' (2004) is an album collecting traditional lullabies sung by women from Iraq, Iran, and North Korea ("the axis of evil"), as well as Syria, Libya, and Cuba ("beyond the axis of evil"), plus Afghanistan and Pales ...

'' (2004), Mahsa started a long lasting collaboration with the Norwegian record label

Kirkelig Kulturverksted Kirkelig Kulturverksted (KKV) is a Norwegian company and record label, founded in 1974 by Erik Hillestad. Among the musicians who have issued records on the label are Ketil Bjørnstad, Kari Bremnes, Erik Bye, Ole Paus, Sigvart Dagsland, Bjørn Eidsv ...

(KKV) and producer

Erik Hillestad Erik Hillestad (born 12 December 1951) is a Norwegian record producer and lyricist. He is founder and manager of the company and record label Kirkelig Kulturverksted. He has received several awards for his works, including a 1992 Fritt Ord Honora ...

, which led to a world wide release of a series of records. Since 2007 Mahsa has been one of the ambassadors of , an independent international organization that advocates freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide. In 2010, she was granted the Freemuse Award. Since 1995 Mahsa has performed as an independent artist in concerts and festivals in Asia, Europe, the US, and Africa together with musicians from Iran, Europe and America. Mahsa Vahdat has worked with many acclaimed musicians in the world such as

Tord Gustavsen Tord Gustavsen (born 5 October 1970) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer. He tours extensively worldwide, and he has been a bandleader for a trio, ensemble and quartet at various times, all bearing his name. Early life Gustavsen was born on ...

Knut Reiersrud Knut Reiersrud (born 12 February 1961) is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. Reiersrud has recorded and played with David Lindley, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Rickie ...

, Pasha Hanjani, Atabak elyasi, Shervin Mohajer,

Mathias Eick Mathias Eick (born 26 June 1979) is a Norwegian jazz musician, and the brother of the jazz musicians Johannes Eick and Trude Eick. He is mainly known from his releases on the jazz label ECM Records. His main instrument is the trumpet, but he als ...

SKRUK Choir SKRUK is a Norwegian choir which has toured all over the country and many parts of the world for more than 35 years with its conductor, Per Oddvar Hildre. It was founded in 1973. The choir has released more than 25 records over the years, all of ...

, and

Mighty Sam McClain Samuel McClain (April 15, 1943 – June 15, 2015), billed as Mighty Sam McClain, was an American soul blues singer and songwriter. Life and career He was born in Monroe, Louisiana. As a five-year-old, he began singing in his mother's Gospel ...

. In 2007 she recorded "Songs from a Persian Garden" in a charity concert in Tehran in the residence of Italian embassy in cooperation with UN for disabled children in

Zahedan Zahedan ( Balochi and fa, , ' ) is a city and capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 587,730. The city was the site of a deadly crackdown in October 2022, with dozens citizens killed by pro- ...

and it was released in 2007 in Norway and Europe and America. It was a mix ensemble of Norwegian and Iranian musicians together with her sister Marjan Vahdat as another lead singer. It has been arranged by

(Norwegian guitarist and musician). In 2008 she released the ''I am Eve'' album with her sister Marjan Vahdat that has a strong message for

women in Iran Throughout history, women in Iran have played numerous roles, and contributed in many ways, to Iranian society. Historically, tradition maintained that women be confined to their homes so that they could manage the household and raise children ...

; eg the lyrics of the first track "I am Eve" strongly expresses the power of women who have many restrictions under the Iranian government. It has been arranged by Atabak Elyasi (Iranian composer). The album received many attention in world music societies and people in Iran and excellent reviews in world music magazines such as ''

fRoots ''fRoots'' (pronounced "eff-Roots", originally ''Folk Roots'') was a specialist music magazine published in the UK between 1979 and 2019. It specialised in folk and world music, and featured regular compilation downloadable albums, with occas ...

'', ''Songlines'' and many other reviews.

Discography

Mahsa Vahdat has released a number of albums – some in collaboration.Mahsa Vahdat website: Discography in Persian
/ref>

Personal life

She is married to Iranian musician Atabak Elyasi. They cooperate in many projects together.

References

Winner of German Critic awards "Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik"

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vahdat, Mahsa 1973 births Living people 20th-century Iranian women singers