Googoosh: The Islamic Republic Can No Longer Prevent Women's Singing

From the perspective of Shia clerics, listening to women's beautiful voices is either 'forbidden', 'problematic', or 'not permissible'. The leader of the Islamic Republic has also conditioned the permissibility of 'a woman's voice when reciting' to the condition that 'the woman's voice is not in the form of singing, and listening to it is not for pleasure or temptation, nor should there be any resulting corruption'. This perspective, reflecting the general view of the clergy on women's voices, has led to the elimination and censorship of women's voices in Iran over the four decades of clerical rule, except in cases of singing alongside men. About a hundred years after the date when it is said that Qamar al-Muluk Vaziri, the lady of Iranian singing, performed without a hijab at the Grand Hotel and was questioned, the release of a video of a 27-year-old girl performing without a hijab in an old caravanserai, which she called a 'hypothetical concert', stirred many. Apart from the public admiration and praise for the courage of Parastoo Ahmadi, some went so far as to compare her action to a revolution. Others argued that placing the young Parastoo's name alongside Qamar's, who transformed the social status of female singers and traditional music in Iran after the Constitutional Revolution, was fundamentally incorrect. Some other female singers, who have kept this art alive under existing restrictions in Iran, were also displeased with this event being attributed to one person. There were also those who claimed that Parastoo Ahmadi's performance was a project of the Islamic Republic. In the radio program 'Paragraph One', Googoosh, who herself is a cultural and artistic symbol of Iran, responds to such comments by saying, 'Even if this is a project of the Islamic Republic; for me, what matters is this presence in public view that has broken this barrier.' Googoosh acknowledges the preparations for this performance and its location, and does not deny the possibility of some support for Parastoo Ahmadi, but states that whether she was allowed to perform or made this decision herself, it is a significant event. This famous singer believes that what places Parastoo alongside Qamar al-Muluk Vaziri is the revival of a memory of a similar action by Qamar, performing without compulsory hijab in front of the public to be seen and heard. Googoosh distinguishes between these two social and historical contexts. She describes the society in which Qamar performed without hijab as one governed by a regime that had more tolerance, and in that society, Reza Shah, with the law of unveiling, brought women out of their hiding places. However, according to Googoosh, today there is a government in Iran that has tried to restrict women's freedoms with limiting laws. Therefore, in this artist's view, Parastoo Ahmadi has accomplished a more difficult task than Qamar, which even led to her brief detention, and future generations will refer back to this event more. Googoosh, known for her stage performances, refers to Parastoo Ahmadi's 'hypothetical concert' as a rehearsed and arranged performance, attributing it to the group of musicians. Alongside this, she believes that the performance location, the modern and modest attire of the singer, and its harmony with the chosen songs are significant aspects of this event. The singer of many iconic Iranian pop songs invites male artists to consider the historical presence of a female singer as a valuable opportunity and to support this event. She states that people, especially the youth, are fed up and want to hear the best and most beautiful performances by women on stage, which is what we see in Muslim countries in the region, while in Iran, even female musicians face restrictions on stage presence. With these considerations, Googoosh believes that the issue of women singing is something that cannot be stopped, adding that if governmental pressures are lifted from women, those who aspire to sing will break through this shell even in religious families and reach the 'stage of emergence'. Googoosh, referring to the challenges faced by female artists, advises young girls who want to become singers to enhance their ability to confront the issues surrounding this work and to deal with them consciously, as this is how they can overcome difficulties. In conclusion, referring to the social changes in Iran following the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests in 2022, she states: 'I firmly say that this event that has happened is irreversible; our women and girls are coming to the stage, and there is no turning back. But I would like to see unity among all sectors, especially our male artists, to witness a day when beautiful female singers appear and sing beautiful songs; thus, we can again say 'Women, Life, Freedom.'