Roqe

A diverse Roqe episode featuring interviews with British-Iranian cultural commentator, Kimia Yousefi, and Swedish-Iranian singer, artist and advocate, Arghavan. Kimia joins Jian from London to discuss her very popular (and funny) TikTok and Instagram presence and her observations as an English woman reconnecting with her Persian roots. Arghavan joins from Stockholm to speak about coming to fame in...

A fun Roqe episode including a feature interview with Iranian-Canadian engineer and YouTube sensation, Bahador Alast. Bahador joins Jian in the Roqe Studio to talk about his popular YouTube series that explores commonalities in language. He recounts how an interest in travel and different cultures led to the creation of his platform that has become a fascinating exploration of connection through c...

A diverse episode including an interview with Iranian-American author, Qigong master, and filmmaker, Pedram Shojai, also popularly known as The Urban Monk - which serves as the title of his New York Times Bestseller. Pedram is the the co-founder of whole.tv, a first-of-its-kind health and wellness streaming service with live and original content. He has also built a huge platform around his films,...

A feature interview with celebrated Iranian-American composer, vocalist, and performance artist, Sussan Deyhim. Sussan joins Jian to reflect on her journey from Iran to professional ballet in Europe, working with the likes of Peter Gabriel in America, and creating a unique sonic and vocal language rooted in Persian poetry and mysticism. Plus the Roqe Team jokes about their Nowruz home video, their...

A feature interview with acclaimed Iranian-Canadian sculptor, painter and cartoonist, Ahmad Alan Sakhavarz. Ahmad joins Jian to discuss his remarkable and award-winning career in three acts - from his work as a prominent political cartoonist at famous magazines and newspapers in Iran, to his move to Canada and transition into popular wildlife painter, to - finally - his evolution into world-renown...

A feature interview with popular Iranian-Canadian fashion blogger and journalist, Bahar Eslami - her first ever interview in English. Bahar set out to shine a light on independent fashion designers and stylists in Iran and became one of the first Persian fashion bloggers in the world. Her Fashion Sandwich platform was wildly successful and turned Bahar into a social media influencer and fashion wo...

A feature interview with leading attorney, professor and author, Mehrangiz Kar. Mehrangiz is a celebrated human rights activist who was one of the first female attorneys to oppose the Islamization of gender relations following the Iranian Revolution of 1979. She became an active public defender in Iran’s civil and criminal courts. She joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for a very intimate and personal...

A feature interview with pioneer Iranian-American bodybuilder, Hoda Jarrah. Hoda is an entrepreneur, fitness instructor, motivational speaker and a social media influencer. She joins Jian for her first ever interview in English to discuss growing up in a working-class conservative Muslim family in Iran, making it her mission to find independence, and breaking barriers and taboos for Iranian women....

A feature interview with award-winning French-Iranian composer, Christophe Rezai. Christophe joins joins Jian from Tehran to discuss his emotive and evocative film soundtracks, his years spent in France, his experiences with tragedy and loss, his decision to move to Iran in the mid-1990s to pursue music as his career and primary passion, and his desire to fuse Eastern and Western traditional sound...

Feature interviews with celebrated Iranian-British painter, Hana Shahnavaz, and Iranian-American actor and producer, Armin Amiri. Hana joins Jian from London to discuss growing up in England with a fascination for Iran, and then her journey there where she found the inspiration to begin painting using pigments found in natural earth, sand, plants and insects. Then Armin joins from Los Angeles to r...

A feature interview with Iranian-British explorer and documentarian, Reza Pakravan. Reza joins Jian from the UK to discuss his life as an adventurer, motivational speaker and writer who left a lucrative corporate job in London in his late-30s to explore the world and challenge himself. He has since become a two-time World Record holder for crossing the Sahara Desert by bicycle in 13 days, and “Fas...

A feature interview with acclaimed Iranian-American surgeon, Dr. Abbas Ardehali, Surgical Director of the UCLA Heart-Lung Transplant programs, and Professor of Surgery and Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine. Abbas joins Jian to discuss his journey from Iran as a young man, excelling in engineering and medicine in America, his passion for helping people, and the story of becoming the first surgeon i...

A feature interview with pioneering Iranian-American food blogger Azita Houshiar. Azita joins Jian to discuss food as culture and identity, and the growing prominence of Persian cuisine in the online space, as well as her love for Iran, her TEDx talk in Tehran, and her decision to stay in Iran more permanently. Plus, Chef Hoss talks saffron on “Hoss-pitality,” Kyan talks pants on “It’s All Persian...

A wide-ranging and hilarious feature interview with renowned Iranian-Dutch photographer, visual artist and video director and filmmaker, Mostafa Heravi. Mostafa joins Jian from Amsterdam to discuss his approach to political art, inspiration and commentary, making videos for the likes of Namjoo and Shahin Najafi, and his wild journey from a religious family in Mashhad to the West, including an atte...

A feature interview with Professor Nayereh Tohidi, Founding Director, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at California State University, Northridge. Nayereh joins Jian for a spirited discussion on the prospects of progress on human rights and gender equality under the current regime in Iran, and lessons learned from decades of Iranian women’s activism before and after the revolution. Plus, a Valen...

Feature interviews with Iranian-American cultural leader Nazy Kaviani in San Francisco, and Iranian-British musician and archeologist, Roya Arab in London. Nazy joins Jian to discuss the importance and challenges of supporting the Iranian artistic community in America, and being the founder of the “Let Her Sing” concert series. Then Roya joins us for a wide-ranging interview about her artistic jou...

A feature interview with Iranian composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, Reza Tajbakhsh - one of the most prolific and well-known popular musicians working in Iran today. Reza joins Jian from Tehran for his first-ever interview in English, to discuss his musical journey, getting to play jazz with his world-renowned idols, singing on his own compositions for the first time, and deciding to r...

A feature interview with Shahriar Mandanipour, one of the most accomplished and successful writers of contemporary Iranian literature. Shahriar sits down with Jian for a wide-ranging interview about war, love, censorship, living in exile, being one of the top Iranian writers almost murdered on a fateful bus trip in the 1990s, and his latest novel, Moon Brow. Plus Mona from Melbourne with the “Pers...

A feature interview with Iranian-British musician, TV producer and presenter, Maral Mohammadi. Moral joins Jian for an energetic conversation about going from a cellist/composer to becoming a star host/producer at Manoto TV and Iran International, her desire to promote Persian arts and culture, and her alternative nature and sensibilities. Plus Kyan has a new edition of, “It’s All Persian to Us,”...

A feature interview with Iranian kickboxing champion, entrepreneur, and social media influencer, Picasso Moin. Picasso (born Ahmad Moin Shirazi) joins Jian from Istanbul to discuss his athletic career, his iconoclastic tendencies, his complicated lineage as the son of a mullah, and the instagram posts that led him and his wife to a harrowing escape before being sentenced to 16 years in prison in I...

A feature interview with award-winning Iranian-Italian actress, Maya Sansa. Maya talks about her childhood, her journey to becoming the “new face of Italian cinema,” and reconnecting with her Persian roots and visiting Iran. Plus author Barbara Slavin, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Future of Iran Initiative, on Iran and Iranians in the new Biden Era on the day after inauguration. And new edit...

A feature interview with Iranian-American singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and Persian setār virtuoso, Fared Shafinury. Fared sits down with Jian for a wide-ranging discussion about being born and raised in Texas, grappling with identity, travelling to Iran and embracing classical Iranian art, and finding his path back to America and a diverse music career. Plus Mona Kiani with a new editio...

Feature interviews with hip hop artist Afta Hill and designer and brand-builder, Saman Taherpour of Kiani Concept. Jian sits down with Afta Hill in the Roqe Studio on the eve of the release of his debut album, Tehranto, to discuss identity, hip hop, his journey as a musician, politics, and recruiting Persian hip hop pioneer, Erfan, to appear on his album rapping for the first time in English. Then...

A feature interview with Iranian motor-biking world record holder, fashion designer and motivational speaker, Dr. Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick - winner of the Economic Times’ 'Gen Next Icon Award' for 2020. Maral joins Jian to recount her journey from leaving Iran for India as a student, becoming a marketing professional, starting her own fashion line, and then leaving it all behind to turn a passion f...

A Roqe Special Edition remembering the innocent victims of the horrific downing of Flight PS752 on the one year anniversary, and assessing the effort to find justice. Jian is joined by voices from across the globe including families of the victims, analysts and experts. Guests include family members, Arash Morattab (Canada), Navaz Ebrahim (USA), Nima Neyestani (Canada) and Saghar Nourian & Ashkan...