Mahsa Vahdat is an internationally acclaimed Iranian singer and composer. She is an iconic figure in the struggle of Iranian women for artistic freedom in the complex socio-political landscape after the Islamic Revolution. Deeply rooted in the rich tradition of Persian classical music, her work blends classical and regional Iranian music, poetic lyricism, and contemporary idioms. Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has engaged in musical partnerships that span a wide range of genres and cultures, including projects with Kronos Quartet, Tord Gustavsen, Mighty Sam McClain, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, and Pacific Symphony. In the interview we talk about her early musical influences in Iran, her defiance of government restrictions on female singers, and her intercultural musical collaborations.

Music: My Home by Mahsa Vahdat, performed by Mahsa Vahdat and Ellen Bødtker (Kirkelig Kulturverksted); Braids of Innocence by Mahsa Vahdat and Atabak Elyasi, performed by Mahsa Vahdat and SKRUK (Kirkelig Kulturverksted); The Vow composed and performed by Mahsa Vahdat (Kirkelig Kulturverksted); The Moon-Faced of Our Beloved by Mahsa Vahdat and Marjan Vahdat (Marjan & Mahsa Vahdat live at House of Music Hungary)

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The Other Minds Podcast is hosted and edited by Joseph Bohigian. Outro music is “Kings: Atahualpa” by Brian Baumbusch (Other Minds Records).