Reactions to Golpa's Passing: 44 Years of Forced Seclusion for Iran's Treasure of Song

Following the death of Akbar Golpayegani, the renowned Iranian singer known artistically as "Golpa," Iranians revived his memory on social media, with Prince Reza Pahlavi calling him "one of the pillars of authentic Iranian music." On Sunday, November 5, Prince Reza Pahlavi published a message on various social media platforms stating, "Akbar Golpayegani was one of the pillars of authentic Iranian music. He was a flower from the blossoms of Iranian music during its glorious era; a time when art was valued in our country and artists had dignity." He also noted that "Golpa suffered double oppression after the 1979 catastrophe and was never able to present his unparalleled art to his people and many admirers in his homeland." According to Prince Reza Pahlavi, Golpa "spent the last 44 years with the bitterness of this forced seclusion in a homeland he loved dearly" and "ultimately closed his eyes to the world in the same art-nurturing soil." Additionally, Shahin Najafi, a protest singer, emphasized that "Master Golpa was a treasure of knowledge and experience in singing," stating, "What heartaches that golden generation endured for the art of this country. His name will remain immortal!" Political activist Vahid Bahman also shared a song by Golpa, writing that he "did not change his color and remained steadfast and loyal, becoming eternal in the heart and soul of the Iranian nation." In recent years, Akbar Golpayegani had shared memories of his collaborations with artists such as Homayoun Khorram and Jalil Shahnaz in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America. Some social media users commemorated him by sharing Golpa's works, while others pointed to his seclusion following the 1979 revolution. Among them, political activist Behrouz Hosseini remarked that "Golpa's art and personality were such that the middle class of recent years, which was largely a creation of the regime, could not connect with him" and emphasized that "Golpa was at his peak because he was the eagle of Khanlari's poetry and had no middle ground with the mediocre!" Akbar Golpayegani, a prominent figure in Iranian music, was born in February 1934 in Tehran. He passed away on Saturday, November 4, in Tehran at the age of 90.