Artist description The Age of GoogooshThe Iranian diva emerges from seclusion, as popular and as powerful as everBy AZADEH MOAVENI CairoThere is a curious truth about pre- and post-revolutionary Iran: its pop idol has never changed. It is not simply that the Islamic Republic cut Iranians off from music — from Puff Daddy to the latest Tehrangeles flavor of the month, satellite television and kiosks with bootleg music keep Iranians savvy. AFPIranian pop diva Googoosh performs in Inglewood, California The truth is that the diminutive diva Googoosh, whose real name is Faegheh Atashin, has beguiled Iranians for decades. Her enchanting songs echo the poignancy of a long-suffering nation. More than this, Googoosh's life itself embodies the modern Iranian experience: the bitter choices, the pain of separation, the loneliness of exile, the private life forever interrupted by politics. The Shah's Iran and the Iran of the mullahs are both irrevocably the Age of Googoosh. Banned from singing in public for two decades, the news that Googoosh, now 50, would be heard again on a North American concert tour spread like fire on the international Iranian grapevine. For Iranians abroad, her comeback, which began in Toronto last month and goes on to New York, Houston, Washington and San Francisco, is a reminder of feelings long-suppressed and of a cultural void that was never properly filled. Iranians in the U.S. and Canada are demanding more than the seven scheduled performances, and have readily paid the $150 and up ticket prices. "After all these years, why are we still hung up on Googoosh?" wondered the owner of an Iranian grocery in San Jose, California, who has done brisk trade in Googoosh tickets. Part of the answer is that virtually no modern Iranian singer's music has been able to compete. Combining the lyrical dexterity of the legendary Lebanese singer Fayrouz and the visceral emotion of Edith Piaf, Googoosh's ballads borrow from the textures of classical Persian poetry. With Iran's finest poets and musicians at her disposal, Googoosh has always harnessed others' talent to her own. The result is sophisticated yet accessible harmonies that straddle ballad, pop and, more recently, flamenco. Her rendition of the famous traditional Arabic song "Zuuruuni" has also won her a following throughout the rest of the Middle East. But who is the Googoosh of 2000? Is she the vulnerable, radiant woman who took the stage last month in Toronto, clearly overwhelmed by her adoring fans? Or is she the reclusive figure who has spent the past 20 years living a quiet, comfortable life in Tehran, never protesting against the regime that silenced her? She is neither, really. The complexities of Googoosh's life are the force of her continuing appeal. Even during the Shah's years, she never had it easy. Googoosh had to survive a succession of men who tried to manipulate or own the talent that delighted millions. After her entertainer father made her a child star she had a string of husbands, some who abused her. The men of the Shah's court had the power to harass when their advances were refused. Finally, the Ayatullah Khomeini gave her — as he did all female singers whose voices were deemed too provocative — the choice of staying mute, or moving abroad, and risking never being allowed to return. Once again, Iran's shifting political currents are propelling Googoosh. Perhaps President Mohammed Khatami's reforms are responsible for prying her from seclusion for the unexpected tour. But even before Khatami's mild cultural spring, the Googoosh presence in Iranian life had never dimmed. At any record kiosk, a list of bootleg titles can be produced from behind the counter. A wedding without Googoosh's voice is unthinkable. For today's young Iranians, who know her music only through recordings, Googoosh is a symbol of what it was like to live before the revolution: in a Tehran of miniskirts and discos, a country as lawless as today, but more open to the world and to fun. The Googoosh comeback is also causing Iranian exiles to take stock. Stability and freedom, most have already decided, are worth the cultural isolation of life abroad. But now that the Tehran regime is willing to export Googoosh — or at least not to deny to expatriates what it deems unfit for the population at home — the Iranian diaspora might be moved to give the new Iran a closer look. That the government has given an active Googoosh the green light to move back and forth may convince the most stubborn of diaspora Iranians that travel to Iran is easier for dual-nationals than it ever has been since 1979. A Western diplomat in Tehran recalls the day he first witnessed the Googoosh phenomenon, when she arrived at his embassy to prepare the visas for her tour. An unsuspecting Iranian staffer wandered into the room, and upon seeing Googoosh promptly burst into tears. Googoosh also began to cry, and the two embraced. This is her power; the woman who encompasses for Iranians the resistance of John Lennon, the sensuous tragedy of Marilyn Monroe and the fame of Elvis. That hers has remained the voice of Iran throughout two violent political eras is testament that Iranians feel closer to one another than either they, or their governments, have ever realized.The voice of a nation is heard again 11/22/00 BY FARNAZ FASSIHI STAR-LEDGER STAFF Only two things possess the power to bring together Iranians of all ages, religions and political affiliation. One is soccer. The other is Googoosh. Last weekend, more than 3,500 ecstatic fans from as far away as Texas and North Carolina traveled to the Trump Taj Mahal arena in Atlantic City to be a part of Googoosh's historic comeback tour. "We have been waiting for her for 20 years," said Karim Karimipour, a 65-year-old fan from New York. "Tonight is like a dream for us. She is one of a kind. There will never be anyone like her. She is forever -- for past, present and future." In pre-revolutionary Iran, Googoosh, now 50, defined stardom. Every woman wanted to be her and every man yearned just to be near her. Her every style and makeover set trends. When she cut her hair, women followed and the cropped style became known as "Googooshi." At the height of her fame, at the age of 28, Googoosh's life was forever changed by the Islamic revolution that overthrew the monarchy in 1979. Ayatollah Khomeini banned her and all other female singers from performing in public. Overnight Googoosh, whose real name is Faegheh Atashin, disappeared from public life. But her legend continued to grow and her status shifted from pop star to national icon. In the two decades that the mullahs have ruled Iran, Googoosh's albums have continued as best-sellers, available at every bootleg kiosk in the country. Hikers recite her songs on the curvy mountain trails of Iran. Taxis blast her music in the traffic-ridden streets of Tehran. Children learn their first dance steps with her songs. A Persian wedding without her voice is unthinkable. Her voice has become the unrivaled voice of Iran. In early spring, as a sign of loosening restrictions, led by moderate President Mohammad Khatami, something unpredictable happened. The Iranian government returned Googoosh's passport and allowed her to leave the country for a series of concerts that began in Canada and will continue in Europe and the Middle East. The news that Googoosh would once again perform spread like wildfire in the Iranian exile community. The 15,000 tickets for her show in Los Angeles sold out in less than three hours. Tickets for this tour have been sold on eBay for $400 a piece. There are 900 Web sites dedicated to her, and her official Web site googoosh.com has received more than 6 million hits this year. "To not know Googoosh is like to not know your mother's name. She is the single most loved Iranian alive," said Ali Sohikishi, 24, from Ridgewood, who along with his aunts and uncles traveled to the Atlantic City concert Saturday night. Men and women, ranging from 70-year-olds to teenagers, jumped to their feet, clapped joyously and sang along to the songs that brought back memories of home. Googoosh responded emotionally to her fans' outpouring of affection. "If my voice is shaking a little, it's because of the excitement of performing for you," she said. Farideh VanArman, 55, clutched her fists, shook her head and let the tears flow. At first, she murmured along with the words, then excitement took over. As Googoosh swayed her arms and swung her hips, VanArman let out a scream from her $300 first-row seat: "I love you, Googoosh. I love you," Googoosh blew her a kiss. She screamed harder. "I am acting wild. She is taking me back, back down memory lane, to when I was a teenager, when I first fell in love," said VanArmen, who along with four of her friends drove to the show from Maryland. She and her friends had also gone to Googoosh's Washington concert in September. "After 20 years, you think once is enough?" said VanArmen. Not when Googoosh's own story mirrors the experiences of many of her fellow countrymen inside and outside of Iran. Those living in exile relate to her because she, too, was stripped of a robust profession and was forced to make painful personal choices. She, too, has tasted the bitterness of separation. Those who have remained in Iran respect Googoosh because she, too, suffered through two decades of political upheaval and an eight-year war with Iraq. The sex symbol of the nation proved her sisterhood to female followers when she, too, covered her hair in a veil. "For almost 22 years I stayed in my apartment, sitting on a couch and read books. I didn't go out much," Googoosh said during a Toronto news conference in July. "Sometimes I went out to buy fruit or shop at the supermarket." Googoosh's life has encompassed the qualities of a number of pop idols rolled into one. For example, as a child she was a Shirley Temple-like star who captured the hearts of Iranians when her acrobat father put her on stage, at the age of 8, in local cabarets. As a teen, she was a Madonna-like rebel. During her 20s, Googoosh's innovative songs shaped Persian pop music just as Elvis' songs shaped American rock. And her personal life has been reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe's, plagued with a string of men, who wanted to exploit her beauty and fame. Then she disappeared and re-emerged as a mature, poised performer who often moves her audience to tears. During her Saturday night show, Googoosh performed 30 songs, accompanied by a 16- piece orchestra, which included flute, bongos, three guitars, keyboard, piano and violins. Only six were from her new album, "Zoroster," recorded in Canada this year. Her emotion-filled songs, always sung in Farsi (the modern language of Iran), range from ballads and love songs to dance numbers. Although most of her songs are non-political, a new piece, "Captive Land," alludes to Iran as she sings of how the pieces of her broken heart are falling over a sorrow-filled country. Standing quietly in a dark corner near the stage, Kambiz Ghorbani, 34, watched as his mother's every move sent the crowd into a hysterical frenzy. He is Googoosh's only child, who left Iran for Los Angeles soon after the revolution and was reunited with Googoosh only five years ago when he returned to Iran. "It's overwhelming," he says of his mother's larger-than-life image. "When I watch her only one word comes to mind: pride. I am extremely proud of her." Following the three-hour performance, Arash Manzori, of Mount Laurel, was already talking about his plans to go to Las Vegas for Googoosh's final show of her American tour on Christmas Eve. "I'm a Googoosh groupie, a Deadhead of Googoosh," said Manzori, a 31-year-old medical doctor who has been taking time from work to attend Googoosh's concerts around the United States. He has followed her to Los Angeles, Texas, New York and Washington. "She represents to us the essence of being an Iranian. It's more than songs and a concert. It's getting reconnected to our culture and the past," he said. "Her voice has been the theme song of every event in my life," said another fan, Sedi Houshangian. "I dance with her songs and cry with her songs. I listen to her when I am happy, when I am sad. When I celebrate and when I grieve. This is her power."

Music Style pop and rock

Musical Influences singer

Artist History They're gaga for Googoosh MUSIC PREVIEW: The touring Iranian star's fans still carry a torch for her, 20 years after the Islamic revolution all but took away her voice. By HEATHER FULLERSpecial to the Register Pooya Omshehe's voice pours out of the telephone receiver. She is beyond ecstatic. "I love her so much," she gushes. "My feelings towards her are not easy to describe."From her excitement, Omshehe could easily be mistaken for a young fan of a teen pop sensation such as Britney Spears. But the Mission Viejo woman is 32 and her idol is Googoosh, the Iranian diva whose career - had it not been cut short by the politics of her homeland -- could have spanned more than four decades.After more than 20 years of seclusion in Iran, Googoosh has re-emerged. She obtained a passport and set up a string of tour dates, starting in July in Toronto. After a stop at the Forum in August, Googoosh returns to the area Saturday to play the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, and she is also slated to perform Oct. 21 at Staples Center.Omshehe explains that rumors of a possible Googoosh tour have circulated in the Iranian community for years."But it never happened," she says.That is, until now.Googoosh, whose real name is Faegheh Atashnin, became an icon in Iran during the '70s. She was more than just a performer; she was a role model."She was so ahead for the life back then in Iran," Omshehe says. "The way she dressed, the way she made up herself - everything."Googoosh, 50, has been likened to everyone from Streisand to Madonna to Elvis, but Omshehe argues that there is just no comparison."She is one of a kind," Omshehe says.Googoosh began her career as a performer at age 3, made her first movie at 8 and began recording at 15. Her eclectic style married traditional, pleasantly intoxicating Persian melodies with bold Western sounds. Googoosh grew in popularity until she was adored throughout the country by young and old alike.Not only were fans concerned with her career, but they were also obsessed with her personal life. People admired her and wanted to be like her. And when she appeared on television one day with her hair cropped?"Everybody followed," said Minoo Mojabi, 37, of Irvine, who caught Googoosh's performance at the Forum.The haircut became so popular among women in Iran that it was termed the "Googooshi.""I had that haircut for several years," Omshehe admits.In 1979, however, Googoosh's rising career was destroyed - along with her albums, films and posters, which were banned. After the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini prohibited women from performing because he believed their voices and dance movements seduced men.Many singers chose to flee the country rather than be prohibited from doing what they loved, but not Googoosh. She decided to stay in Iran and surrender to the ways of the new Islamic government. She was forced to sign a declaration guaranteeing that she would never sing again and has lived a modest life in Tehran for the past 20 years or so."I can understand why she had to stay in her little apartment and not get out," Omshehe says. "Everybody was after her. Everybody wanted to get a glimpse of her."But this solitary life took a toll on Googoosh. She reportedly suffered bouts of depression. Still, she does not regret remaining in her homeland."If I had left Iran after the revolution, I would be like any other singer," she told The Toronto Star before the start of her tour. "But in staying and experiencing Iran over the last 20 years, it changed me as an artist. The way I think, the way I sing, I've matured differently."The announcement of her first performance in Canada in July sent waves of shock and anticipation through the Iranian community, which numbers about 100,000 in Orange County."We didn't think she was gonna be performing," said Joseph Vardayo, 49, of Huntington Beach, who snagged tickets to her show at the Pond. "It was a surprise for me even to see that she was here."Googoosh has remained reclusive on her tour, doing few interviews, but has said response to her return has been overwhelming."Somehow I became more famous during the years I was away," she said. "I can feel people's expectations. I am terribly nervous."It's a matter of days before Googoosh will arrive in Orange County. The clock is ticking slowly for Iranian expatriates who have waited more than two decades to hear the familiar croonings of the idol of their youth, as well as those who caught Googoosh's show at the Forum in August and are hoping to recapture the magic of the moment. For all, the distance and years have not dimmed their passion."I don't think she even knew that she had this many fans," Omshehe says. "She is the greatest."Despite the rapturous response from audiences in North America, Googoosh - who lived in Southern California before the Iranian revolution - plans to go back her homeland."The overall treatment of the people (in Iran) has improved. We don't have the same tensions as before," she said in the Toronto interview. "Women are allowed to perform once again, but only for audiences made up of other women. Regardless of what happens, however, I will return to Tehran. After this tour, I will go home.

Location Iran, tehran - Iran

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