At shesaid.so, we are committed to providing a platform for individuals of different cultures and backgrounds in music to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives and to inspire and encourage others. shesaid.so stands in solidarity with the Iranian people in their fight for freedom, justice, and equality and want to use our community to continue spreading awareness of the current revolution in Iran. We hope to do this by shining a light on Iranian talent from our community and by sharing resources via organizations that are actively working to support human rights in Iran.
Maryam Mirbagheri
Maryam Mirbagheri, aka “Maryama”, is an award-winning Iranian American composer/performer/music producer currently residing in Los Angeles, California.
In recent years, Maryama has worked with well-known figures such as Deborah Lavine and Michaell Skloff and has risen to prominence by scoring the music for the short dramatic thriller Forbidden and The Gift, directed by notable Iranian Director Farbod Ardebili.
Her work has earned her much recognition; Her 2014 single In Zendegist and 2017 single Sufi were both nominated for a Hollywood Music Media Award, and she has won the Jazz Downbeat Award with ARC vocal jazz ensemble. Her 2017 debut album, Where the Mermaids Are (mixed and mastered by GRAMMY award-winning producers Marc Urselli and Scott Hull), won the California Video Music Award in 2018.
Mirbagheri is working with Universal Music Group and is a proud member of shesaid.so and She Is The Music.
Visit her official website HERE to learn more and to listen to Maryam Mirbagheri's works.
Obscenity State
Nilly Brook, known as Obscenity State, is an up-and-coming artist, musician, and producer who mesmerizes listeners with her innovative mix of electronica, grand sound design, melodious compositions, and entrancing dance beats. Born into a family fractured by the Iranian revolution, Nilly became highly conscious of the various forms of power abuse. In her quest for understanding, she studied art, global politics, animation, and music at Central Saint Martins, the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the London College of Music. This educational journey, combined with her own experiences, led to the creation of Obscenity State's captivating live audio-visual show, featuring abstract and subversive animations and the grandeur of light to engage and transport the audience into her unique world.
Nilly announced a brand new release with the arrival of her debut single 'Moke Lake', lifted from her debut EP due in January 2023.
"This is an energetic electronic dance track, explores self-discovery through the merging of sound and vision. The cascading melodic synthesis, expansive sound design and psychedelic, overlapping sequences hypnotically immerse you into my alternative world. Weaving throughout are the evocative chants of a Persian Avaz master, a female performer prohibited from singing in public since the revolution of ’79. Of Iranian heritage myself, stemming from a persecuted minority, I have built a digital world to reflect my sense of isolation and driving determination to confront revolutions past and present through the exploration of new identities."
Find out more about Obscenity State on her website.
Tania Atyabi
Photo credit: Graham Hudson.
Tania is a DJ, model and digital marketer. She’s a regular on the London club circuit, UK festivals, and radio shows and has plenty of future projects in the works, including creating original music in her home studio. Tania is proficient in Farsi and usually travels to Iran yearly, but the pandemic and consequent civil unrest have hindered her from doing so for a while. Still, she has kept in contact with her family in Iran, who have been informing her of the hardships they have to deal with on a daily basis.
"Throughout my life, I have seen the impact of oppression against women first-hand, as most of my family out there are women. The basic freedoms that we take for granted on a daily basis are little to none in their lives, and there are generations of people who have never experienced any difference, as it's been four decades since the regime has had control over the country.
I believe we may, at last, be on the cusp of a revolution which is exciting but also extremely worrying. I think it's a critically important time for people outside of Iran to unite and show our support for not only women but also the LGBTQ+ community in Iran, who continue to suffer at the hands of the patriarchal regime. One of my DJ mixes (Eggs of Asia on AAJA Radio) is a show dedicated to Iranian people; please check that out as the second half of the show presents a beautiful curation of music produced by Iranian women and non-binary people." Tania Atyabi
Find Tania on Soundcloud and Instagram
SHIVARASA
Iranian-American producer, DJ, and sound healer Shivarasa (formerly known as Shiva) has been bridging the underground to the mainstream effortlessly, establishing a solid presence in a male-dominated industry. She infuses elements of global bass, electronic, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and ambient soundscapes into her work.
Shivarasa has performed alongside some of the biggest names in the music world, including CeeLo Green, Nas and Damien Marley, Cypress Hill, and Snoop Dogg as well as for spiritual teachers such as Abraham Hicks, Panache Desai, Michael Beckwith, The Agape International Spiritual Center, Kyle Cease, Peter Diamandis, and XPRIZE.
Inspired by her own wellness journey and passion for personal evolution, Shiva has given birth to RETURN TO SOUND, a meditative bass experience. Bringing meditation music into a new era with bass as a backbone, Shiva takes you on a fully immersive sonic journey that inspires deep relaxation, trance states, and an opportunity to observe within. You can find out more about her work HERE.
Iran: Critical Situation
At shesaid.so we believe it is essential to give a platform to marginalized communities and to those fighting for their rights. We want to use our community to continue spreading awareness of the current revolution in Iran. We hope to do this by shining a light on Iranian talent from our community and by sharing resources via organizations that are actively working to support human rights in Iran.
In September 2022, Mahsa Jina Amini, a Kurdish/Iranian woman, was arrested by Iran’s morality police for her alleged noncompliance with the country’s Islamic dress code. Three days later, she died in police custody. Amini’s death sparked widespread protests over the last few months.
Thousands have been detained throughout the country for joining peaceful protests. At least six people connected to the protests have been sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh or “waging war against God”, or efsad-e fel-arz or “corruption on earth”. At the same time, a growing number of people, including Iranian celebrities and sports people who have expressed support for the protests, have been summoned or arrested.
"The rising number of deaths from protests in Iran, including those of two children at the weekend, and the hardening of the response by security forces, underline the critical situation in the country. We urge the authorities to address people’s demands for equality, dignity and rights – instead of using unnecessary or disproportionate force to suppress the protests. The lack of accountability for gross human rights violations in Iran remains persistent and is contributing to the growing grievances."
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk
Source: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2022/11/iran-critical-situation
To support the people of Iran:
Donate to The Centre for Human Rights in Iran; an independent, not-for-profit organisation made up of researchers, activists and journalists: https://iranhumanrights.org/what_we_do/
Donate to The Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre for Human Rights in Iran, a platform for victims of human rights violations. Find out more:
https://www.iranrights.org/donate
Check more resources at https://mideastmatters.carrd.co/