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Mahasti (Persian: مهستی) (b. 1946 - 2007) was a prolific Iranian pop singer.
Mahasti |
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Background
Mahasti: Khadijeh (Eftekhar) Dadehbala. She was born in 1946, younger sister of another very famous singer, Hayedeh. Her beautiful voice was discovered by Parviz Yahaghi, one of the most famous Iranian composers and violinists. She was one of the rare signers who "started" their work in Golhaye Rangarang, the most prestigious music program on Iranian National Radio, in 1965 with the song named "Ankeh Delam Raa Bordeh Khodaya," composed by Parviz Yahaghi and with lyrics from Bijan Taraghi.
Music Career
In the beginning, her family was reluctant to allow her to pursue a career in entertainment because it was not an appreciated career for women in Iran at that time. However, Mahasti overcame this stigma providing Iran with a new image for women within the entertainment industry. Mahasti created an image of a "gentle-woman" singer, a lady with great manners. Her enormous success in music opened the pathway for many other women, including her older sister, Hayedeh, who started her work about 5 years after Mahasti. These two sisters had tremendous contributions to improving the image of female singers in Iran and in transitioning the Iranian music from where it was to where it is now. Mahasti's career was remarkable. In 2005, she was awarded the Persian Female Pop-Classic Vocalist Of Excellence by the World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media (formerly Persian Academy Awards) for over 35 years of top performance in Persian pop music. She had produced more than 35 music albums including Beeganeh, Havaye Yar, Ashofteh, Ghasam, Mowj, Mosafer, Nameh, Taghdir (with Golpa), To Bezan Ta Man Beraghsam, Asir, Hamishe Ashegh, Havaye Asheghi, Avazak, Ziafat (with Asef and Sattar), Oje Seda (with Hayedeh), Saal (with Hayedeh and Moein), Mehman (with Hayedeh), Hamishe Sabz, Deldadeh, Sarab e Eshgh, Gole Omid, Masti, Sepeedeh Dam, Haghighat (with Sattar), Labkhand (with Shahram Solati), Booye Gandom (with Sattar), Bazm (with Sattar) and Az Khoda Khasteh. In her albums she has worked with several other singers, including Hayedeh (her sister), Sattar, Akbar Golpaygani (Golpa), Iraj (Hossein Khajeh Amiri), Mahmoodi Khansari, Aref, Moein, Shahram Solati, Faramarz Asef, Homeyra, Hasan Shamaeizadeh, and Sadegh Nojooki.
Personal Life
Mahasti married Kouros Nazemiyan and gave birth to her only child, Sahar. Mahasti and her family lived in Abadan for several years before finally moving back to Tehran. Her marriage with Nazemiyan ultimately ended in divorce but several years later she re-married to Bahram Sanandaji, an owner of a shoe factory, however their marriage also ended. After the Iranian Revolution and due to the pressure on women singers, She immigrated to UK in 1978 and a few years later to USA where she lived thereafter.
Death
In March of 2007, she publicly announced that she had been battling colon cancer for four years. She hoped that her experience would raise awareness within the Iranian community regarding cancer and the significance of constant physical examinations. She was then living in Santa Rosa, CA with her daughter, Sahar, her husband, Naser, and their two children, Natasha and Natalie. She died at 7:52 AM on June 25th, 2007 in Santa Rosa, at the age of 61.