Voice of America Interview with French Artist Who Rewrote the Song 'If One Day' for 'Women, Life, Freedom'

The song 'Azad' by the French music group 'Taliscar' has been circulating on social media for some time, drawing attention with the hashtag 'Women, Life, Freedom' due to its familiar melody for Iranians. Éléonore Meliande, the songwriter and singer, created this piece inspired by 'If One Day' by Faramarz Aslani. She told Voice of America that she first heard the song 'If One Day' in 2019 while traveling to Iran to record an album and collaborate with Iranian musicians, during a taxi ride in Tehran. Éléonore says, 'I heard this song in the taxi, and even though I don't understand Persian, I could feel a mix of hope and the sadness of exile in its music. I thought I would someday cover it because it is very beautiful.' Years later, following the events related to the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement in Iran that shook the world, Éléonore revisited this song. She states, 'I was looking for a way to express my support for the people of Iran in a dignified manner, not as a politician but as an artist and a feminist, to be their voice. One day I woke up, and the melody of 'If One Day' was in my mind. I realized that the time had come to sing it in French.' The lyrics of 'Azad' use the metaphor of the Simorgh. Éléonore explained to Voice of America, 'The Simorgh is a very inspiring character because it rises from the ashes and symbolizes growth, rebirth, and hope. In my song, it bids farewell to sorrow, anger, chaos, and everything it is alien to. It finds the breeze of peace and flies with it.' Éléonore described this song as 'the story of passing from a dark age to a sense of self-awareness and freedom.' Faramarz Aslani created the song 'If One Day' in the 1970s, and it has been covered multiple times by both Iranian and non-Iranian artists. Éléonore describes Mr. Aslani as a 'legendary' songwriter and expresses great respect for him due to his support for the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. She added, 'As soon as I finished writing this song, I sent it to Faramarz Aslani, who encouraged and supported me a lot. He said he was happy that a new generation of artists has given a different meaning to this song. This was very valuable to me.' Faramarz Aslani also shared the new French cover of the song on his Instagram, writing, 'Taliscar speaks of the Simorgh in their poem, which will one day spread its wings again, and Iran will leave its dark days behind and will once again become the shining gem of the East.' The lyrics of the song 'Azad' are in French, and it is described online as 'the story of rebirth through love.' Éléonore mentions that French is a language that has a good romantic power and expression of feelings. She noted that the French know Iran only through the political media and have a limited understanding of Iranian culture, stating, 'I am a French person who had the opportunity to travel to Iran and learn about it; to learn that it has kind people, its young generation is very hopeful and creative, and to know about Iran's extraordinary music and art.' This French songwriter and singer believes that to draw people's attention to the events of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, one can present facts that speak to their minds or provide them with a beautiful Iranian song written in French that they can feel with their hearts, and she chose the latter as an artist.