Roqe

The start of a new mini-series on Roqe, The Plight of Persian Music, about the dysfunctional nature of the Iranian music business. Guitarist, producer, and industry veteran, Babak Khiavchi, joins Jian from Seattle to discuss the burgeoning music scene in Iran before the revolution, the devastating effects of the Islamic Republic censorship on creativity and musical artists, and the issues that sti...

“The Rise of Reza Shah” - Part 11 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did a man named Reza Khan, who came from modest means, become the ‘father of modern Iran’ and the founder of a new Iranian dynasty? Acclaimed historian Dr. Shaul Bakhash, author of a new book on the life of Reza Shah, joins Jian Ghomeshi from George Mason University to discuss Reza Shah’s evolution fr...

“The Persian Schindler” - Part 10 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did an Iranian diplomat with Qajar royal family lineage, who was the Console General in Nazi occupied Paris in 1942, help thousands of Iranian - and non-Iranian - Jews escape the Holocaust? And why was his heroic tale left untold for many years? Historian and writer, Dr. Fariborz Mokhtari, the aut...

A feature interview with Iranian-Canadian teenage genius, Erfan Nouraee, an award-winning quantum physics inventor. Erfan joins Jian in the Roqe Studio to discuss his journey from curious young scientist in Iran, to creating landmark inventions, his move to Canada three years ago, and winning the Bronze Medal in the United Nations World Best Inventor and Innovator category last month representing...

“The Rise of Opium” - Part 9 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How is it that opium became an extremely popular substance for the citizens of Iran in the Qajar era, and reached a zenith in consumption and production in the early 20th Century? Was opium use always a negative? And when did it shift from a medicinal product that was eaten, to a recreational and dangerous...

“A feature interview with Iranian-Canadian performer and promoter, Aras, Canada’s first “Persian Celebrity DJ.” Aras joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for a very frank conversation about his journey to popular performer, the challenges of trying to run an entertainment business in the Persian community, his struggles with depression and anxiety, and his recent desire to get rid of all his material pos...

“The Shiraz Festival Complexities” - Part 8 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did an annual international summer arts festival, the Shiraz Festival of Arts, celebrated for its innovation and unprecedented mix of progressive programming, part of a series of groundbreaking Pahlavi-led initiatives for culture in Iran, also become a lightning rod for contested symboli...

A feature interview with acclaimed Iranian-American fashion designer, Behnaz Sarafpour. Behnaz joins Jian from New York City to talk about growing up in Iran, moving to the USA and attending the Parsons School, launching her own brand in 2001, winning the National Design Award (handed to her by Michelle Obama at the White House) in 2013, Angelina Jolie and others handpicking her line of clothing,...

“Siahkal and the Failure of the Left” - Part 7 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. Why was the unsuccessful 1971 Marxist guerrilla action in the small northern town of Siahkal such a pivotal event that still gets named as a proud symbol of leftist resistance in Iran? And how do we explain the notable failure of the left in Iran to attain any semblance of power, despite...

A feature interview with Iranian-American recording artist and author, Sepehr Haddad. Sepehr joins Jian from Maryland, USA, to discuss his musical group, Shahin and Sepehr, and his new novel, “A Hundred Sweet Promises,” that incorporates history, culture, and international romance, not to mention significant Iranians from his own lineage. Plus the Roqe Team debates the merits of smoking on screen...

“The Story of Kayhan” - Part 6 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did an Iranian daily newspaper that was, at its peak, the most influential media voice in the Middle East, come to be? How much impact did Kayhan have by the 1960s and 70s? How did it navigate editorial autonomy whilst being funded by the Shah? And how did a newspaper that had become identified for i...

A feature interview with superstar British dancer, Yasmine Naghdi, Principal Ballerina of the The Royal Ballet. Yasmine joins Jian from London to discuss her identity, her upbringing, her discipline, and her journey to becoming the first Persian ballerina - and only one of Middle-Eastern background - to be a member of the storied Royal Ballet company. Plus the Roqe Team convenes to chat about Pers...

“The Creation of Kanoon” - Part 5 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. What exactly was Kanoon? What is it today? And how did one of the most progressive systems for the cultural education and creativity of kids and teens - anywhere in the world - begin in Iran? The founder and Managing Director, from 1965-1979, of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children a...

Feature interviews with celebrated Iranian-French designer, Tara Ghazanfar, and Iranian-American photographer and producer, Manoosh Nabavi. Tara joins Jian from London to talk about her trendsetting Tara Zadeh handbag line, her incorporation of architecture and symmetry into designs influenced by Iranian colours and culture, and her strong Iranian identity despite being born and raised in the West...

“How the Iran-Iraq War Benefited Khomeini” - Part 4 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How much did the new Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini regime actually benefit from a war that was declared a patriotic and religious national duty in the early 1980s? And, in fact, can it be argued that the consolidation of power by Khomeini and the Islamic formalists in the years during...

A look at the growing popularity of online English lessons for Iranians, featuring interviews with two internet stars - Houshang Noormohamadi of “houshang_academy” and Shahrzad Kazemi, the host of “LearningEnglishWithSherry.” Houshang and Sherry join Jian from Oklahoma and Vancouver, respectively, to address the trends, tribulations and passions of Persians teaching English. Plus the Roqe Team deb...

“Farah Diba and the Rise of Iranian Art” - Part 3 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How much did young Queen Farah shape the trajectory of arts and culture for Iran in the mid-20th Century? And specifically, what was her impact and influence in bringing art, culture and museums to Iran in the 1960s and 70s? Iranian-American scholar, art advisor and curator, Dr. Layla...

A feature interview with Iranian-American tech entrepreneur, investor, CEO and co-founder of the education nonprofit Code.org, Hadi Partovi. Hadi joins Jian from Seattle to discuss his first experiences coding on a Commodore 64 as a kid during the Iran-Iraq war, his migration to America with his family living in one bedroom, his ascension through Harvard to Microsoft and the development of Interne...

“The Americans and the ’53 Coup” - Part 2 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. What exactly was the role of the United States in the removal of the popular Prime Minister Mossadegh in August 1953? And what was the American incentive to get involved? And how does that pivotal event affect American action on the foreign stage right up to today? Author and award-winning for...

Feature interviews with Iranian-American academic and social activist, Dr. Sharon Nazarian, Senior VP of the Anti-Defamation League, and acclaimed Iranian-French painter, Vanecha Roudbaraki in Paris. Plus the Roqe Team convenes and sifts through the Letters of the Week.

“From Shahyad to Azadi” - The premiere episode of a new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did an iconic monument in Tehran that was a symbol of the Monarchy in the 1970s morph, almost overnight, into a symbol of an Islamic Republic? Author and professor, Dr Talinn Grigor joins Jian Ghomeshi from Davis, California, to discuss the dramatic transformation of the Maydan-e Shahya...

A feature interview with Iranian-Canadian YouTube and Instagram personality, Tina Talebi. Tina joins Jian from Kitchener, Canada, to discuss growing up Bahai in Iran, moving to Canada without speaking a word of English, using her own immigrant experience as an ESL teacher today, and becoming an online sensation in videos with her charismatic husband James. Plus the Roqe Team reflect on their trip...

A feature interview with Iranian-French multidisciplinary artist, Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar, an abstract painter who has become one of the preeminent young talents of the global art world. Sassan joins Jian from the south of France to discuss his dramatic visceral style of painting, reflections on his “dark and traumatic” past in Iran, and his recent essay, The Age of Energy, lamenting the idea that...

A feature interview with Afghan actress, choreographer, and advocate, Sitara Attaie. Sitara joins Jian from California to discuss the heartbreak of the current situation in Afghanistan, her journey through many countries and fluency in multiple languages, and her TV roles on Homeland and United States of Al. Plus the Roqe Team is surprised that Captain Reza has a fan, and Jian makes an unplanned a...

A feature interview with acclaimed Iranian musician, TV host and producer, Arash Sobhani. Arash joins Jian from San Francisco to discuss his politics, his art, his years with the popular rock band, Kiosk, his role as a TV producer (“Persia’s Got Talent”) and host (“Replay”), and his ambitious new musical project that is both album and film, Sweet Destiny. Plus the Roqe On-Air Team contends with an...