Monir Vakili's 1958 Charles Cros award winning album recorded in Paris, France.

First professional recording of Persian Folk Songs with vocals.


La Laiee - Chants Et Danses De Perse

Golé Gandom - Chants Et Danses De Perse

To Bio - Chants Et Danses De Perse

Dokhtaré Boyer Ahmadi - Chants Et Danses De Perse

Paché Leyli - Chants Et Danses De Perse

Dareneh Djan - Chants Et Danses De Perse

Aziz Djoun - Chants Et Danses De Perse

Monir Vakili's 1958 Charles Cros award winning album recorded in Paris, France.

First professional recording of Persian Folk Songs with vocals.

Lor Baché - Chants Et Danses De Perse

1962 Live Performance Recording from Sabet Television - Tehran, Iran. Hossein Dehlavi conducts the Tehran Symphony Orchestra

Suite Folkloric - Shir Ali Mardom II

Suite Folkloric- Dokhtareh Boyer Ahmadi II

Suite Folkloric- To Bio

Suite Folkloric - Reyhan

 RESURRECTION - "Baazgasht" - Monir Vakili

A reproduction of the original "Chants Et Danses De Perse". A stunning collection from Monir Vakili, Iran's First Lady Of Opera. With the help of modern technology, Monir Vakili's daughter ZaZa and grandchildren, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir come together in this exotic and nostalgic journey into the folklore of Persia. 
Arranged and produced by Elton Ahi at Rusk Studios, L.A., CA. in 2003.

Original Vocals: Monir Vakili (1958)
Additional Vocals: ZaZa, Arian Saleh, Alexandra Monir (2003)
Mili joins on "Dokhtareh Boyer Ahmadi"
Keyboards: Farokh Ahi & Masaki Saito
Guitars: Ardeshir Farah on "To Bio", Farokh Ahi on "Dareneh Jan"
Ney, Santur, Sorna and Kamunché: Ostad Mohammad Nejad  
Tar & Setar: Mohammad Omranifar
Flute: Mike Nelson
Percussion: Ali Tavallali


Golé Gandom - (featuring ZaZa and Alexandra Monir on vocals)

RESURRECTION - "Baazgasht" - Monir Vakili

A reproduction of the original "Chants Et Danses De Perse". A stunning collection from Monir Vakili, Iran's First Lady Of Opera. With the help of modern technology, Monir Vakili's daughter ZaZa and grandchildren, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir come together in this exotic and nostalgic journey into the folklore of Persia. 
Arranged and produced by Elton Ahi at Rusk Studios, L.A., CA. in 2003.

Original Vocals: Monir Vakili (1958)
ZaZa, Arian Saleh, Alexandra Monir (2003)
Mili joins on "Dokhtareh Boyer Ahmadi"
Keyboards: Farokh Ahi & Masaki Saito
Guitars: Ardeshir Farah on "To Bio", Farokh Ahi on "Dareneh Jan"
Ney, Santur, Sorna and Kamunché: Ostad Mohammad Nejad  
Tar & Setar: Mohammad Omranifar
Flute: Mike Nelson
Percussion: Ali Tavallali


Lor Baché - (featuring ZaZa, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir on vocals)

RESURRECTION - "Baazgasht" - Monir Vakili

A reproduction of the original "Chants Et Danses De Perse". A stunning collection from Monir Vakili, Iran's First Lady Of Opera. With the help of modern technology, Monir Vakili's daughter ZaZa and grandchildren, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir come together in this exotic and nostalgic journey into the folklore of Persia. 
Arranged and produced by Elton Ahi at Rusk Studios, L.A., CA. in 2003.

Original Vocals: Monir Vakili (1958)
ZaZa, Arian Saleh, Alexandra Monir (2003)
Mili joins on "Dokhtareh Boyer Ahmadi"
Keyboards: Farokh Ahi & Masaki Saito
Guitars: Ardeshir Farah on "To Bio", Farokh Ahi on "Dareneh Jan"
Ney, Santur, Sorna and Kamunché: Ostad Mohammad Nejad  
Tar & Setar: Mohammad Omranifar
Flute: Mike Nelson
Percussion: Ali Tavallalir.


To Bio - (featuring ZaZa and Alexandra Monir on vocals; Ardeshir Farah on guitar))

RESURRECTION - "Baazgasht" - Monir Vakili

A reproduction of the original "Chants Et Danses De Perse". A stunning collection from Monir Vakili, Iran's First Lady Of Opera. With the help of modern technology, Monir Vakili's daughter ZaZa and grandchildren, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir come together in this exotic and nostalgic journey into the folklore of Persia. 
Arranged and produced by Elton Ahi at Rusk Studios, L.A., CA. in 2003.

Original Vocals: Monir Vakili (1958)
ZaZa, Arian Saleh, Alexandra Monir (2003)
Mili joins on "Dokhtareh Boyer Ahmadi"
Keyboards: Farokh Ahi & Masaki Saito
Guitars: Ardeshir Farah on "To Bio", Farokh Ahi on "Dareneh Jan"
Ney, Santur, Sorna and Kamunché: Ostad Mohammad Nejad  
Tar & Setar: Mohammad Omranifar
Flute: Mike Nelson
Percussion: Ali Tavallali

Dokhtaré Boyer Ahmadi - (featuring ZaZa, Mili and Alexandra Monir on vocals)

Dareneh Jan (featuring ZaZa, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir on vocals)

Aziz Joon (featuring ZaZa, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir on vocals)

La Laiee (featuring ZaZa and Alexandra Monir on vocals)

RESURRECTION - "Baazgasht" - Monir Vakili

A reproduction of the original "Chants Et Danses De Perse". A stunning collection from Monir Vakili, Iran's First Lady Of Opera. With the help of modern technology, Monir Vakili's daughter ZaZa Saleh and grandchildren, Arian Saleh and Alexandra Monir come together in this exotic and nostalgic journey into the folklore of Persia. 
Arranged and produced by Elton Ahi at Rusk Studios, L.A., CA. in 2003.

Original Vocals: Monir Vakili (1958)
ZaZa, Arian Saleh, Alexandra Monir (2003)
Mili joins on "Dokhtareh Boyer Ahmadi"
Keyboards: Farokh Ahi & Masaki Saito
Guitars: Ardeshir Farah on "To Bio", Farokh Ahi on "Dareneh Jan"
Ney, Santur, Sorna and Kamunché: Ostad Mohammad Nejad  
Tar & Setar: Mohammad Omranifar
Flute: Mike Nelson
Percussion: Ali Tavallali

Paché Leyli  (featuring ZaZa on vocals)

Suite Folkloric - Dai Balal

Arian Saleh is Monir Vakili's grandson. This is Arian's first full length album. He released THE COBBLESTONE EP in 2010.
UNDONE CD-Released June 11, 2013
SHADOWS - Music and lyrics written by Arian Saleh. Performed by Arian Saleh and featuring a sample from Monir Vakili's "La Laiee". Sample permission courtesy of Chant Du Monde.
For more about Arian please visit www.ariansaleh.com

Shadows (vocals Arian Saleh featuring Monir Vakili)

1958 very first recording of Persian Folk songs, Les Chants Et Danses De Perse was produced and recorded in Paris, France by the record label Chant Du Monde (Harmonia Mundi). Monir Vakili was selected as the vocalist for these songs. Monir had already been performing an impressive repertoire of Persian folk songs at recitals, concerts and television appearances in Iran and in Europe. The record became an international success and it won the Grand Prix Du Disque - Académie Charles Cros!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 28, 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the tragic and untimely passing of Monir Vakili, Iran's first lady of Opera. 
We remember her groundbreaking  achievements in the fields of Performing Arts & Culture in Iran during the 50s, 60s and 70s. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monir attended American School in Hamedan where she performed as soloist and member of the church choir.
Radio Tehran and "Association des Amis de la Culture Française", 1946-49.
Studied at the Conservatoire Nationale Supèriore de Musique de Paris 1949-1952, majoring in Operatic Singing and Dramatic Arts.
Recipient of the Best Folk Songs Award, Berlin Youth Festival, 1951.
Vocal coach at Iran Conservatory of Music, 1955-57. Our National Conservatory was created in 50s. Whereas the original Conservatory was created under Reza Shah by the Czeck musicians in Meydan Baharestan.
Soloist with The National Orchestra, conducted by Hossein Dehlavi. 1958-1959 Weekly perfomances on Tehran (Sabet) Television.
Recitals at the French Institute and Roumanian Embassy, Tehran, 1955-56.
Studied at the Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, 1960-61. Majored in Opera Directing.
First Persian singer to popularize Persian Folk Songs in Iran and the international music scene.
Recepient of the Academy Charles Cros Grand Prix du Disque in 1958 for Les Danses et Chants de Perse.
Founder of the first Opera Company of Tehran.
Staged the first televised opera scenes from Madama Butterfly and La Traviata on Sabet Television, May 1961.
Featured vocalist on "Le Vent Des Amoureux" a film by Albert Lamorisse, 1971.
Institute For The Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults releases the original recording of Suite Folklorique - Monir Vakili - Accompanied by Ministry of Fine Arts and Culture Symphonic Orchestra - Arranged and Conducted by Hossein Dehlavi.
Executive Director of Rudaki Hall Programs for NIRTV (Performing Arts Program), Tehran, Iran.
Creator and Founder of the Academy of Voice, Tehran, Iran, 1975 (government funded co-ed boarding high school for opera and choral singing).
Recepient of the Forough Farrokhzad Award, 1976.
Executive Producer of the first Opera Film Festival in the world at the Rudaki Hall in Tehran, Iran, 1977.
Executive Director & Producer & Host of the Televison Program for NIRTV: Rudaki Hall Presents (the best programs of the year were telecast all over the country).
Appeared in 23 operas in lead roles and directed two major operas in Tehran.
Member of Board of Directors : The International Shiraz Arts Festival.
Toured and performed extensively in Russia, Tajikestan, Bulgaria, Romania, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
Lost her life in a tragic car accident in Belgium Feb. 28, 1983.


Monir Vakili

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