Roqe

A new episode including a feature interview with superstar British dancer Yasmine Naghdi, Principal Ballerina of The Royal Ballet. Yasmine returns to Roqe and joins Jian from London to discuss her recent international performances and her new book, the first in an upcoming series entitled “Ballet Besties.” Plus, Pegah is in studio for the Roundup to discuss the latest news surrounding the upcoming...

A new episode of Roqe featuring an in-depth and intimate interview with returning guest, Ali Azimi, a leading light in Persian alternative music, who joins Jian, this time in the Roqe studio. Jian and Ali discuss and preview his forthcoming album “Madineye Fazelab,” his personal life and journey, and more - including a special in-studio acoustic performance. Plus, Pegah joins Jian for a Roundup to...

A special edition of Roqe with a roundtable focused on the implications of the the deaths of IR President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian and others. Jian is joined by Kayhan-London Managing Editor, Nazenin Ansari in London, UK, Policy Director for the National Union for Democracy in Iran, Cameron Khansarinia, in Washington DC, YouTuber and regular Roqe panelist Bahador Alast, as well as Roqe...

Part two of the latest live Roqe show recorded in front of a sold-out audience at Theatre Aurora in Aurora, Ontario, Canada on May 7th, 2024, featuring the presentation of the inaugural Roqe Media Icon award. Jian is joined by Najmeh Tansaz & her daughter Janan (better known as the new Roqe special correspondent) to discuss everything from boxing, mental health and the women life freedom movement....

Part One of the latest live Roqe show recorded in front of a sold-out audience at Theatre Aurora in Aurora, Ontario, Canada on May 7th, 2024. Jian kicks off the show with an updated version of his “Vay Vay” song, and then is joined by Bahador Alast and Kyan Nademi for a Roundtable, a breathtaking performance from Saba Zameni accompanied by virtuoso Babak Amini, and the very popular Dr. Kay, who si...

A new edition of Roqe featuring renowned and beloved Iranian singer and actress. Nooshafarin. Nooshafarin joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for her ever English interview - a comprehensive, revealing and animated conversation about her work, her passion, her sense of identity and her story of resilience from being a teenage star in Pahlavi era Iran, to years in India and the resuscitation of her caree...

A new edition of Roqe, this time with a focus on wellness-based and preventative medicine - including feature interviews with dynamic practitioners, Dr. Afrouz Demeri in California and Dr. Siamak Shirazi in the Roqe Studio. Plus Jian kicks off the show with a rousing audio essay aimed at Western media, declaring “the Islamic Republic is not the same as Iranians,” and Pegah joins Jian to discuss th...

A new edition of Roqe including feature interviews with two highly talented musicians live in the Roqe Studio. First the popular Iranian-French hitmaker, singer, writer and instrumentalist, Kamyar joins Jian to discuss his latest tour, a personal awakening and the loss of Faramarz Aslani. Then British-Iranian guitarist and singer, Siamak Mehr is live in our studio for a conversation about his pass...

A new edition of Roqe with popular Iranian-British thinker, author and award-winning psychologist, Dr. Fathali Moghaddam, joining Jian for a feature hour to discuss his latest book entitled “The Psychology of Revolution” and to dissect why revolutions don’t always lead to better results and what does and doesn’t change with revolution, seen through a psychological lens. Dr. Moghaddam uses Iran and...

A jam-packed new edition featuring two returning favourites - this time in the Roqe Studio. Talented broadcaster, actor, writer and political satirist, Kambiz Hosseini, joins Jian as he prepares for the launch of his new nightly program on Iran International TV. And budding Iranian-German star singer, songwriter, pianist and Voice Persia finalist, Ayda Rastgoo, joins for a conversation and live pe...

A special new edition of Roqe featuring a living legend who was who has left an indelible mark on the Persian pop music scene. Shahbal Shabpareh joins Jian live in the Roqe Studio for his first ever feature-length English interview - a comprehensive, revealing and, at times, emotional conversation - to discuss his work over the course of the last seven decades and how he became the “Popfather.” Al...

A special bonus edition of Roqe (Ep.315.5), remembering the legendary Iranian-American singer-songwriter Faramarz Aslani. Jian is joined for an intimate and emotional interview by attorney and human rights activist, Crown Princess Yasmine Pahlavi, who, along with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, has been a very close and dear friend of Faramarz Aslani and his wife, Marjan.

A special edition of Roqe: Rest in Peace Legend - Remembering Faramarz Aslani. As the first blossoms of Spring unfurl, and less than 24 hours after the news of the passing of an icon, Jian delivers a heartfelt tribute essay to the late Faramarz Aslani as a trailblazer who set a new bar for Iranian popular music. Plus, singer-songwriter and producer Peyman Salimi joins Jian to discuss this profound...

A new edition of Roqe featuring popular Iranian-American singer Sara Naeini. Sara joins Jian from LA for her first ever long-form interview in English, discussing everything from her formative years in Iran - where she could not legally release recordings as a solo female artist - to the development of her remarkable voice, to becoming a role model as a singer for many young artists today and spre...

A big new edition of Roqe packed full of dynamic conversations in two feature interviews with two prominent Iranian-American multimedia artists. First, Hamid Rahmanian joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for an enthralling (and fun) discussion about making art, Iranian history, claiming identity and his latest Persian Book of Kings (Shahnameh) inspired ‘shadow theatre’ production, “Song of the North.” T...

A new special edition of Roqe focusing on the question “Are Iranians INSIDE Iran more fashionable than those in the diaspora?” Acclaimed New York-based Iranian-American designer and fashion visionary Nima Behnoud (NIMANY) joins Jian in the Roqe Studio to discuss why he believes the answer is yes, that despite living in a more repressed society - or maybe even because of that - Iranians inside Iran...

The great Instagram filter debate! A new special edition of Roqe focusing on the negatives and positives of social media filters. It’s no secret that we increasingly live in a world where we are necessarily skeptical about the authenticity of images that we consume. But today we ask…are Instagram filters (and social media picture filters in general) a good thing? Photographer and popular lifestyle...

A new edition of Roqe including a feature interview with rising Iranian-Canadian singer-songwriter Navan, in the Roqe Studio, discussing his new album, “Mesle Ghabl” that comes out next week. But first, a very special Roundtable addressing the question: How important is the Persian language to defining Persian identity? Jian is joined by three distinguished guests: the Iranian-Canadian scholar, au...

Part Two of the “Roqe Live!” Special recorded at Theatre Aurora, Feb 7th, 2024. Jian is joined by Babak Amini for an interview and performance with his band, and voice actor and podcaster Banafsheh Taherian performs a moment from her one-woman show, From Lust to Loyalty. Plus Babak does a special surprise performance with popular Persian singer, Mazyar Fallahi.

Part One of the “Roqe Live!” Special recorded at Theatre Aurora, Feb 7th, 2024. Jian is joined on stage by Iranian-Canadian actress and model, Shiva Negar, and popular Persian singer and musician, Mazyar Fallahi - who improvises a new song on the spot. Plus the Roqe Roundup team of Pegah and Reza discuss the changing face of Canada and a porn star visit to Iran. And Jian opens the show with a new...

A new edition of Roqe beginning with an essay tribute to Manoto TV by Jian after the closing of the Persian language network this week. Also, a feature interview with the dynamic visual artist, Dana Nehdaran joining from New York. Dana discusses his life journey, from loving painting as a kid in Isfahan to becoming a beloved visual artist in the US - from portraiture (and self-portraits) to his re...

A new edition of Roqe including a feature interview with Iranian-Norwegian dancer, choreographer and “Persia’s Got Talent” winner, Navid Rezvani. Navid joins Jian from Oslo to discuss his bold perspective on the current state of Iran, his defiance of Iranian dance laws, and his inspiring life journey. Plus Jian opens the show with an audio essay entitled, “The Islamic Republic IS at war …against t...

A new edition of Roqe focusing on the legacy of the great Iranian songwriter, musician, singer and recording star, Habib. Jian is joined by the late musical icon’s son, Mohamad Mohebian, for a feature hour, to discuss the remarkable talents, famous songs, difficult story…and, in the end, tragic life of Habib - told for the first time in a comprehensive way in English. Jian begins with a meditation...

A new edition of Roqe featuring interviews with two creative Iranians who have each become viral online sensations for their entertaining videos. First up, Iranian-American content creator and entrepreneur Pouya Hashemi joins Jian from California, to discuss how he went from a successful business developer to a popular funny video presence on instagram with clips that are now in the millions of vi...

A new episode of Roqe including a feature interview with musician and producer, Arash Sobhani of the group Kiosk, in the Roqe Studio, discussing his band’s brand new album that is reflection on the uprising in Iran over the last couple of years and what he sees as the disintegration of unity and the movement. Plus Jian starts the show with words about how we might remember the past year, and is jo...