Some of the biggest stars from the Persian music scene, including legendary pop singer Sattar, King Raam, and the band Kiosk, highlight a Nowruz TV special airing on the Voice of America Monday, as Persian-speakers around the world celebrate their New Year.
The star-studded two-hour concert, recorded live at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., also features Sepideh, Rana, Shahrzad, Karmandan, and Tara.
VOA Director David Ensor says the broadcast is an opportunity for Iranians to see many popular musicians and entertainers who are not able to perform at home. “One of the really special things about this concert,” Ensor says, “is the collaboration between the bands. This is a new generation of musicians from different groups, performing together some of the best Iranian oldies from the 1970s. We hope it’s something our audience will enjoy, and we wish them Merry Nowruz and Happy New Year.”
The musical performances are part of 11 hours of special Nowruz programming from Voice of America, starting at 11:30 PM Washington time (7:00 AM Tuesday Tehran time), when Iranians around the world will begin gathering with friends and family to reflect on the past year and look to the future.
The VOA Persian program will also include Nowruz messages from President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other well-known personalities, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, filmmaker Parviz Kardan and comedian Maz Jobrani.
Earlier this year, VOA Persian expanded its lineup of programs to Iran with new shows that deliver vital news, examine crucial social issues and bring the audience the views of leading newsmakers. One of VOA’s most popular programs, Parazit, has attracted large audiences with its satirical and sometimes comic look at the policies of the Iranian government.
VOA’s Nowruz TV programming will be available on satellite and on the VOA Persian website.
For more information about this release contact Kyle B. King at the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at kking@voanews.com. For information about all of VOA’s programs visit www.voanews.com.
