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Hayedeh (also transcribed Haideh or Haydeh; ; (1942 - January 20, 1990) was a Iranian pop and classical singer who died in exile some hours after one of her performances.
Hayedeh was born in the Iranian capital, Tehran. She is older sister of another famous Iranian singer, Mahasti . Although Mahasti was 4 years younger than Hayedeh, she started her career in music before Hayedeh. In fact, Mahasti's success in this field inspired Hayedeh to start her work as a singer, almost 5 years after Mahasti. Her career began as a singer on a Tehran Radio program called Gol-ha-ye Rangarang (Colorful Flowers) directed by Davood Pirnia. She studied Avaz (Persian vocal music) with the great Iranian violinist and composer Ali Tajvidi. "Azadeh" (music by A. Tajvidi, lyrics by Rahi Moayeri) became Hayedeh's first hit, performed on Radio Tehran with the Gol-ha Orchestra in 1968. Apalon Records in Tehran released "Azadeh".
In the 1970s Hayedah added Persian pop music to her classical Persian repertoire. In the course of her career Hayedeh worked with several composers and songwriters, such as Ali Tajvidi, Farid Zoland, Anoushiravan Rohani, Sadegh Nojuki, Andranik and Mohammad Heydari. Prominent lyricists she worked with included Esmaeel Navabe Safa, Bijan Taraghi, Leila Kasra (aka Hadieh), Mina Assadi, Homa Mir-Afshar and Ardalan Sarfaraz.
Shortly before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Hayedeh emigrated to the United Kingdom. She moved on to the United States in 1982 to continue her career.
From 1982 until the end of her life, Hayedeh lived in Los Angeles near her sister, Mahasti, also a well-known Iranian singer. The growth of the Iranian-American community in Southern California (due to the increasing number of Iranians leaving Iran after the Islamic Revolution) bolstered Hayedeh's career in the 1980s. Hayedeh's political and nostalgic songs such as "Rouza-ye Roshan Khodahafez" ("Goodbye Daylight") and "Faryad" ("Cry") became very popular with the Persian exile community. Taraneh Records, Pars Video, MZM and Caltex Records - four California-based leading Iranian music companies - released most of her songs.
According to Prof. Erik Nakhjavani in Encyclopedia Iranica: "Analogues to Delkash, before her, Hayedeh sang with technical authority and passionate energy. Her laryngeal control made it possible for her to produce a series of graceful vibrato and glissando vocalizations required by the Avaz [Persian vocal music]. She could smoothly pass from the upper reaches of her alto voice to the lower, fuller, and darker range of the contralto. This mixture of strong laryngeal strength and learned vocal technique gave her alto-contralto voice a rare, powerful resonance and texture in the performance of the Avaz. Furthermore an acute sense for musical timing, the rhythmic flow of vocal music, affective musical phrasing, and poetic delivery enabled her to express and interpret effectively any songs she sang."
In the 1980s Hayedeh regularly appeared in programs on the Los Angeles-based Jaam-e Jam TV founded by Manouchehr Bibiyan and a few other Iranian artists in exile. In addition to criticizing Iran's fundamentalist régime on the programs, she also receorded at Jaam-e Jam Studio more than 40 music videos which were secretly distributed in Iran. Hayedeh also twice traveled to London and gave two concerts alongside a complete orchestra (conducted by Farnoush Behzad) at the Royal Albert Hall. She also once appeared at UCLA with a Persian instrumental ensemble led by Manouchehr Sadeghi. She also gave a concert in Israel, home to thousands of Iranian Jewish immigrants.
Hayedeh died at the age of 47 from a heart attack due to a long and finally fatal battle with hypertension, heart disease and depression. She never really accepted life in exile after the upheaval of 1979 in Iran. Her tragic demise came one day after a great performance at the Casablanca Club in San Francisco, California. Hayedeh's health issues were, for the most part hereditary. Her father died from heart attack, while also battling diabetes. Her two older brothers also have died of heart attack. The public fascination with Hayedeh's personal life, as is true for all great performers, have attracted a great deal of scrutiny of her private affairs. However, as is customary, most of Haydeh's so-called trivia is based on rumor, exaggeration and fantasy. Khosrow Motarjemi, a Persian IT expert in California, reportedly made a video of this concert, which was released privately and has reached the hands of many fans. Hayedeh told people that night, "The life is like an express train and we have to use our time... I am going to God's House; who knows what will happen in future, perhaps I will not be alive tomorrow...". Her last song of the performance was "Man Mikham Be Khoune-ye Khoda Beram" ("I want to go to God's House"). The lyricist of this song, Leila Kasra (Hedieh), died of cancer a few months before Hayedeh's death.
Hayedeh's funeral took place in Los Angeles' Westwood Cemetery: thousands of her fans attended.
Hayedeh married three times and left three children named Kamran, Keyvan and Noushin Nouri. They all live in the US and are not active in the music industry.
