Hayedeh

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Hayedeh (هایده)
One of the Last Images of Hayedeh
Background information
Birth name	Hayedeh
Born	1942 Tehran,(Iran)
Died	January 20, 1990 Los Angeles, U.S.
Genre(s)	Persian classical Persian Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1968–1990
Label(s)	Taraneh Records Apolon Records Caltex Records

Hayedeh (also transcribed Haideh or Haydeh, Persian: هایده , born Masoumeh Dadehbala in 1942 - d. January 20, 1990) was an Iranian pop and classical singer.

1 Early career
2 The 1979 Revolution and immigration to the West
3 Death
4 Discography
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Early career

Hayedeh was born in Tehran. She is the older sister of another famous Persian singer, Mahasti.

Hayedeh's career began as a singer on a Tehran Radio program called Gol-ha-ye Rangarang (Colorful Flowers) directed by Davood Pirnia. She studied Avaz (Persian vocal music) with the late violinist and song writer Ali Tajvidi. "Azadeh" (music by A. Tajvidi, lyrics by Rahi Moayeri) was Hayedeh's first hit, performed on Radio Tehran with the Gol-ha Orchestra in 1968. "Apalon Records" in Tehran released "Azadeh".

Hayedeh and Anoushiravan Rohani at the National Iranian Radio and TV, Tehran, 1975 (Photo from Persian Weekly Tamasha)

In the 1970s Hayedah added Persian pop music to her classical Persian repertoire. In this period Hayedeh worked with several songwriters, such as Fereydoun Khoshnoud, Jahanbakhsh Pazouki, Anoushiravan Rohani and Mohammad Heydari. Lyricists she worked with were mostly Esmaeel Navabe Safa, Bijan Taraghi, Leila Kasra (aka Hadieh) and Homa Mir-Afshar.

[edit] The 1979 Revolution and immigration to the West

Shortly before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Hayedeh emigrated to the United Kingdom. She moved on to the United States in 1982 to continue her career.

From 1982 until the end of her life, Hayedeh lived in Los Angeles. The growth of the Iranian community in Southern California (due to the increasing number of people leaving Iran after the Islamic Revolution) bolstered Hayedeh's career in the 1980s. Hayedeh's political and nostalgic songs such as "Rouza-ye Roshan Khodahafez" ("Goodbye Daylight") and "Faryad" ("Cry") became very popular with the Iranianexile community.

Hayedeh's songwriters in the US were mostly Farid Zoland, Sadegh Nojouki, Mohammad Heydari, Anoushiravan Rohani and Andranik.

Taraneh Records, Pars Video, MZM and Caltex Records - four California-based leading Persian music companies - released most of her songs.

According to Prof. Erik Nakhjavani in Encyclopedia Iranica: "Analogues 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."

[edit] Death

Hayedeh, who had a history of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, died at the age of 47 from a heart attack. She died the day after performing at the Casablanca Club in San Francisco, California. Hayedeh told people that night, "The life is like an express train and we have to use our time... I am going to God's House; who knows what will happen in future, perhaps I will not be alive tomorrow...". Her last song of the performance was "Shirin-Jaan," a Kurdish folk song. Hayedeh's health issues may have been hereditary. Her father was also a diabetic who died from a heart attack. Her two older brothers died of heart attacks, as well.

Hayedeh is interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California.