Roqe

A feature interview with santoor master and composer, Hamid Saeidi, a Grammy Award winner with his group, Opium Moon. Plus broadcaster Behzad Bolour and recording artist Azam Ali join the Roqe Roundtable to remember the late Abbas Chamanara and his legendary music stores - Beethoven Music in Tehran and Music Box in Los Angeles.

A feature interview with award-winning Iranian-American author, poet, academic, and journalist Roya Hakakian. Roya joins Jian from Connecticut to discuss the complexities and comedy of being a first generation immigrant, owning her dual identity, growing up in Iran as a Jewish kid, and her latest book, “A Beginner’s Guide to America for the Immigrant and the Curious.” Plus the Roqe Team discusses...

A feature interview with Iranian-Australian singer and composer, Tara Tiba. Tara joins Jian from Perth to discuss her musical journey that included a convergence of styles - classical, jazz, pop and latin - culminating in her most recent award-winning album, Omid. She also discusses growing up in Iran, her identity as an immigrant, and physical and mental health struggles. Plus the Roqe Team talks...

A feature interview wtih popular Iranian-British psychologist and author, Dr. Fathali Moghaddam. Fathali joins Jian from Washington DC to explore the psychology of authoritarianism, why humans gravitate towards dictatorship, the current plight of democracy around the world, and the prospect of democratic change for Iran and Iranians. Dr. Moghaddam is the Director of the Interdisciplinary Program i...

Members of the Roqe On-Air Team are joined by Persian hip hop pioneer and star, Erfan, for a discussion about his newly-released song, his recent culinary path, and vaccine mandates. Plus, a feature interview with Iranian-Swedish-American commercial filmmaker, Alec Cartio. Alec joins Jian from Los Angeles to discuss his journey from political refugee to becoming arguably the most important and wel...

The members of the Roqe On-Air Team reconvene for the launch of a new season with stories about how they spent August. Plus a feature interview with Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi, the first female chairperson of the Afghan Film Organization, and the first and only woman in Afghanistan who has a PhD in cinema and filmmaking. Sahraa joins Jian from Kiev where she has found safe haven after escaping...

A special themed episode of Roqe featuring interviews with two legendary figures in Iranian music. Jian is joined by beloved Iranian-American composer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Faramarz Aslani, for a feature conversation about his life and career. And then, a powerful interview with one of the most prolific and successful contemporary composers and songwriters of our time, Farid Zoland in...

A special themed episode of Roqe featuring interviews with three acclaimed filmmakers of Iranian descent. Jian is joined by legendary director, screenwriter and producer, Bahman Farmanara in Tehran, award-winning Kurdish writer and filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi in Greece, and celebrated director and screenwriter, Babak Payami in Toronto.

A special themed episode of Roqe featuring interviews with three impressive social media influencers in the Iranian diaspora. Jian is joined by photographer and popular lifestyle commentator Kusha Alagband in Los Angeles, athlete and instagram star, Picasso Moin in Istanbul, and fashion tastemaker and influential blogger, Bahar Eslami in Vancouver.

A special themed episode of Roqe featuring interviews with three impressive actors of Iranian descent with stories of resilience and perseverance. Jian is joined by American Assassin and SEAL Team star, Shiva Negar in Los Angeles, Bollywood favourite and model, Mandana Karimi in Mumbai, and acclaimed stage and screen actor and star of NCIS: New Orleans, Necar Zadegan in Santa Fe.

A special themed episode of Roqe featuring interviews with three very successful media figures of Iranian descent. Jian is joined by popular broadcaster Shally Zomorodi in San Diego, iconic print and radio journalist Homa Sarshar in Los Angeles, and award-winning BBC anchor and producer Pooneh Ghoddoosi in London.

A special themed episode of Roqe featuring interviews with three remarkable sport champions of Iranian descent. Jian is joined by world champion kickboxer Farinaz Lari in Vancouver, longtime karate champ and Team Canada Olympic coach Nassim Varasteh in Toronto, and wrestling star and Team USA Olympic coach Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston in San Diego.

A fun-driving episode exploring the Persian preoccupation with cars and status. Jian is joined by two very popular experts in the field of cars and Iranians - Vahid Amirimoghaddam of the “Cars I Have Driven” channel (Montreal), and Ali Bekhradi of the hit “Garage Bekhradi” YouTube/Instagram site (Houston) - to discuss all things auto obsession, from a Mercedes fixation to the vehicular expectation...

A feature interview with Iranian-British entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Babylon Health, Dr. Ali Parsa. Ali joins Jian from London for a heartfelt conversation about perseverance, vision, escaping from Iran as a refugee, getting a PhD in engineering physics, his time as a successful investment banker, pivoting to the healthcare space, and getting added to the UK “rich list” as one of the wealthies...

A feature interview with Iranian-American plastic surgeon and entrepreneur, Dr. Sheila Nazarian, fresh from her Emmy nomination for the Netflix series, “Skin Decision: Before and After.” Sheila joins Jian to discuss why plastic surgery is not always about Instagram-driven images of beauty, but can be important in building self-esteem, confidence and personal empowerment. She discusses her practise...

A special edition of Roqe focusing on the environmental crisis in the Khuzestan region of Iran, and the bloody crackdown on those raising their voices for the basic human needs of clean water. Jian is joined by scientist and writer, Kaveh Madani, who was prophetic in coining the term “water bankruptcy” in regards to Iran long before the latest crisis. He discusses the roots of the mismanagement of...

A feature interview with queer Iranian-American personality and musician, Kayvon Zand. Kayvon joins Jian from Jersey City, USA, for a heartfelt and candid discussion about growing up Persian and non-binary queer in “redneck” North Carolina, the challenge of coming out to his Iranian family, working as a male model and then a provocative live performer, witnessing the growth and strength of the LGB...

A feature interview with award-winning Iranian-British broadcaster, fashion designer, artist and producer, Behzad Bolour - his first ever long-form interview in English. Behzad has been a staple of cultural programming on BBC Persian radio and television for over 30 years. He joins Jian from London for a wide-ranging and animated conversation about his efforts to preserve Persian culture, his pres...

A rhythmic edition of Roqe featuring two rising star Persian percussionists in different parts of the planet. Iranian-Indian musician Hamta Baghi joins Jian from Pune, India, to talk about her love of drums, her move from Iran, and becoming the first Iranian woman who plays Indian beats on the Daf. Then Iranian-Australian conga and Cajon star Nasrine Rahmani chimes in from Madrid, Spain, on growin...

A feature interview with Iranian-American former CEO-turned-popular social media commentator, Farhad Kashani. He has has made it his mission to travel to every United Nations recognized country in the world. Farhad joins Jian from San Francisco to discuss living life with a passion, still seeing himself as a kid, his advice as the author of 8 books on management and lifestyle, his time as a pilot...

An ebullient episode including a feature interview with legendary Iranian-American photographer, Firooz Zahedi. Firooz joins Jian from Los Angeles to tell the story of how he went from an Iranian kid born in Tehran in 1949, to a protege of pop art luminary Andy Warhol by the mid-1970s in the USA, and then the personal photographer and close friend of Elizabeth Taylor. Firooz recounts his trip to I...

A feature interview with Iranian-Canadian guitarist and composer, Maneli Jamal. With a new album about to be released, Maneli joins Jian in the Roqe Studio to discuss the impact that moving twenty times before the age of 18 had on his unique musical sound, his instrument as his refuge, lessons learned from his artistic and political Persian parents, getting deported from the United States with his...

A feature interview with renowned scientist, Dr Reza Moridi, the first-ever politician of Iranian descent elected to any legislature in Canada or the United States. Dr Moridi joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for a wide-ranging conversation about his life including his 11 years in the Ontario government, biculturalism on Canada Day, his youth in Urmia, working as a Professor in Iran during the 1979 re...

A feature interview with Iranian-American neurologist Dr Shahin Nouri, founder and director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the New York Presbyterian - Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Dr Nouri is suffering from a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma as well as severe immunodeficiency, and his only hope of survival is a stem cell transplant from the blood of a healthy compatible donor, within...

A feature interview with Iranian-Canadian comedian, commentator and host of the podcast, “Unfiltered,” Sahar Golshani. Sahar has become a popular online presence for her funny posts and poignant observations on being Persian in the diaspora. She joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for a wide-ranging discussion about cultural practises, (not) caring what others think, destructive attitudes of Iranians, h...