Roqe

Part Four of a 4-part Roqe Original Series exploring the deep and surprising connection between Iranians and the legendary British rock band, Pink Floyd. This episode is entitled, “Storytelling, Classics and Conclusions” and features Loga Ramin Torkian (Los Angeles), Anoush Saboktakin (New York), Sanaz Sotoudeh (Dubai), and Arash Mitooie (Tehran).

Part Three of a 4-part Roqe Original Series exploring the deep and surprising connection between Iranians and the legendary British rock band, Pink Floyd. This episode is entitled, “Drugs, Access and Melancholy” and features Arash Sobhani (Stockholm), Siamak Shirazi (Portland), Maral Mohammadi (London), and Ehsan Sadigh (Toronto).

Part Two of a 4-part Roqe Original Series exploring the deep and surprising connection between Iranians and the legendary British rock band, Pink Floyd. This episode is entitled, “Sonics, Class, and Connection” and features Reza Moghaddas (Toronto), Amir Bahari (Tehran), and Sepp Osley (London).

Part One of a 4-part Roqe Original Series exploring the deep and surprising connection between Iranians and the legendary British rock band, Pink Floyd. This episode is entitled, “Fandom and Context” and features Ali Azimi (London), Dara Daraee (Tehran), Ramin Sadighi (Tehran) and Roya Arab (London).

A special new edition of Roqe focused on a feature-length interview with Iranian-born Armenian-American musician, producer and music arranger, Schubert Avakian. Schubert joins Jian from Los Angeles for a career-interview discussing his youth in Iran, his discovery at a Vigen gig in Germany as a teenager, and his evolution into one of the most sought-after composers and producers in Persian pop mus...

A new episode of Roqe focused on one of the Iran’s greatest cultural exports in recent decades: Cinema. The Roundtable convenes to discuss the recent movement to have state-sponsored or IRI endorsed films boycotted or omitted from prominent Western film festivals. Jian is joined by Pegah, Raha, and longtime TV producer and screenwriter Mostafa Azizi in the Roqe Studio to debate the question: Are b...

A new episode of Roqe featuring an animated Roundtable discussion about Iranians and sentiments towards Islam based on the regime in Iran. Jian is joined in the Roqe Studio by Pegah, Raha and Bahador, to tackle the heated question: “Is Iranian Islamophobia (sometimes) justified?” Plus a feature interview with Iranian icon of law and history, Mehrangiz Kar. The prominent attorney, author, activist...

A new episode (#300!) of Roqe featuring acclaimed environmentalist, academic and Director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Kaveh Madani, in the Roqe Studio as a major Climate Conference kicks off in Dubai. Kaveh joins Jian for a wide-ranging and eye-opening discussion both about the intensity of the environmental crisis around the world and the dire situation in Ir...

A new episode focused on the debate around artificial intelligence featuring Iranian-American tech entrepreneur and social media star, Kooshiar Azimian, on the question, “Should We Fear AI?” Kooshiar joins Jian from San Francisco to discuss all the implications of this adaptive technology, including whether it is the most exciting new development for humanity that will advance the world…OR…the beg...

A new edition of the Roqe Roundtable with Pegah and Raha joining Jian in the Roqe Studio, and journalist Nikahang Kowsar joining from Washington DC. Topics for this week include: (1) Whether Ayatollah Khamenei should be suspended from X (formerly Twitter); (2) The release of Toomaj Salehi and what it says about the state of the uprising in Iran; (3) Iranian’s use and proclivity towards Instagram f...

A new edition of Roqe featuring interviews with human rights lawyer and New Zealand MP Golriz Ghahraman joining Jian from Wellington, and Iranian-Canadian multi-instrumentalist and recording artist, Sina Bathaie, performing in the Roqe Studio. Golriz, the first-ever refugee to be elected to parliament in New Zealand, discusses growing up in Iran, her personal story told in her latest book about id...

A new edition of the Monday Roundtable with Pegah and Raha joining Jian in the Roqe Studio to weigh in on: (1) a new outrageous edict by Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution to rename celebratory Persian days such as Yalda and Chaharshanbe Suri; (2) the latest way the IR has found to impose gender segregation in schools; (3) a look at how Iranians are caught in the crossfire of global...

A new special episode of Roqe (295!) focusing on all things tea-related and the Iranian obsession with the aromatic hot beverage. Jian is joined by popular Persian broadcaster, producer, and self-proclaimed “tea master” Behzad Bolour for an entertaining feature 90 mins about the history, politics, economics, particularities and cultural rituals of Iranians and tea. Plus we read letters and comment...

A new edition of the Monday Roundtable with Pegah and Raha joining Jian in the Roqe Studio to weigh in on the unwritten rules involved in the Iranian obsession with tea, the complexities of Iranian reactions to the growth and demonstrations of Islamists in the West, the latest on a new hunger strike by Narges Mohammadi in prison in Iran, and Jian’s traumatizing encounter with a leaking ghormeh sab...

A new episode of Roqe (293!) featuring an in-depth conversation with Iranian-American human rights expert and Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, Hadi Ghaemi, who joins Jian from New York to discuss the current state of the IR, the regression or lack of progression in the uprising of the last year, and the most recent crackdowns by the IR at the funeral of Armita Geravand. P...

A bonus edition of Roqe featuring the Monday Roundup with Jian joined by Pegah and Raha in the Roqe Studio. The trio discuss Halloween (with varying levels of enthusiasm), the fascinating passion for “Friends” and the late Mathew Perry amongst Iranians, the sad death and funeral of Armita Geravand in Tehran, and the appearance of Iranian Foreign Minister and propagandist Amir-Abdollahian on CNN…ag...

A brand new edition of Roqe that kicks off with Jian’s opening audio essay entitled, We Need to Deprogram Hate, that is a lament for the current state of the world and how we have become prisoners of the algorithms in our social media feeds. Also on this episode, a feature interview with Afghan rapper and activist, Sonita Alizadeh, live in the Roqe Studio, who joins Jian to talk about the plight o...

Our latest episode of Roqe (#291!) poses the question: Is the world more polarized than it has ever been? 💥 In the backdrop of a divided planet dealing with war, atrocities and cleavages that are amped up by online disputes, echo chambers and social media toxicity, Jian is joined by Iranian-American entrepreneur and author, Milan Kordestani, to discuss his new book, “I'm Just Saying: A Guide to M...

A bonus Monday edition of Roqe featuring a 4-person Roundup panel. Jian and Pegah are joined by marketing specialist Raha Rou, and recording artist, Sepp Osley, in the Roqe Studio, to discuss a number of issues of the week including: The drumbeats of war in the Middle East and the role of the IRGC; the horrific murder of iconic Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui; the most recent meeting of the Iran...

A new edition of Roqe featuring a lifetime interview with popular British-Iranian news anchor, producer, and presenter, Farshad Mottaghi, from Manoto TV, joining Jian from London. In his first ever long form interview in English, Farshad talks to Jian about his career, the emotional toll of covering heartbreaking news, his move to the UK and the incredible story behind it, and more. Plus, a Roqe R...

A bonus Monday edition as Pegah joins Jian for a special Roqe Roundup to discuss the historic Nobel Peace Prize win for imprisoned Iranian human rights advocate Narges Mohammadi, and the role of the Islamic Republic regime in the devastating murderous attacks in Israel and Gaza in recent days.

A new edition of Roqe that kicks off with an audio essay from Jian addressing the dire situation of Iranian teenager Armita Geravand, followed by a Roundup with Pegah discussing the latest inside Iran including Armita and the funny/sad spectre of the controversial football game that didn’t happen with a Saudi team in Iran. Plus a feature interview live in the Roqe Studio with pilot, aviation exper...

A brand new edition of Roqe featuring interviews with acclaimed British-Iranian painter, Afshin Naghouni in London, and outstanding Italian-British-Iranian classical music siblings, The Shirvani Sisters in Rome. Plus a fiery and funny debate and Roqe Roundup in the Roqe Studio with Jian, Pegah, and journalist, Mahsa Mortazavi.

A new episode of Roqe including a feature interview with outstanding and influential Iranian-American architect, Gisue Hariri. Known for her award-winning innovative designs and groundbreaking contributions to the world of architecture, Gisue joins Jian from New York to tell her remarkable story of rising from a life in the desert of Khuzestan with her sister to the heights of the global design wo...

A special edition of Roqe and a big new season launch, featuring prominent Iranian voices from around the globe all assembling on this show to offer perspectives and reflect on lessons learned at the one year anniversary of the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini. Jian is joined by a diverse and impressive group to give their heartfelt thoughts, and prognostications on the enduring impact of the pivotal e...