|
On December 7th, 2007, Beyond Persia—in
collaboration with ANAR— is hosting a concert highlighting famous
Iranian-American Musicians at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco. The event’s honorary Host committee is
made up of San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom, as well as Iranians, Supervisor,
Ross Mirkarimi, Dr. Elahe Ensani and Ahsha Safai, among others.
The performers are contemporary Composer/Pianist Arjang
Rad, favorite young crooner, Hamed Nikpay and the legendary rock band Kiosk,
whose emersion from illegal underground music in Iran has recently exploded
into what Dr. Abbas Milani fellow at the Hoover institute refers to as being
responsible for changing the face of Contemporary Iranian Culture. The show
will be emceed by Maryam Sayyad (daughter of the beloved Persian Actor, Parviz
Sayyad) and will feature the comedy of Stage Actress, Sheila Vossough.
The evening which is intended to promote Peace and help
stave off war, includes a pre-show reception for all guests, an Iranian art
exhibit silent auction, and
raffle. For the VIP ticket
holders, there will also be an elaborate post show Persian dinner with the
evening’s celebrities in the foyer of the Palace of Fine Arts, and dance party
with DJ Aykut until 1AM. Proceeds
from the concert and silent auction, will be donated to the Agape Foundation
whose mission is social change through non-violence. The event also celebrates the 1st anniversary
of Beyond Persia, a San Francisco based non-profit organization dedicated to
the promotion of the arts of Iranian Diaspora. In the past year Beyond Persia has exposed over 600 pieces
of artwork as well as the art of over 80 individual Iranian American artists,
musicians, photographers and filmmakers, either for free or at cost, through a
variety of art exhibits, film screenings, concerts and their unique website www.beyondpersia.org.
“We hope that
with frequent exposure to contemporary culture of Persians abroad, both
the American public, as well as our own 1st generation of Iranian Diaspora
who’ve been removed from this level of artistic sophistication for various
reasons, will feel a kinship to this culture by way of its art, and therefore
its people. With the help of
colleagues like Anar, we aim to humanize Iranians as more than the ‘Islamic Fundamentalists’
we’ve been reduced to in the news, as we strive to showcase our collective talents—not
like immigrants, but in an elevated way that fuses us with other up market Americans
and befits our proud history.” says, Beyond Persia’s Founding Director, Lale’
Shahparaki Welsh.
Anar, a collective of younger Iranian-Americans in the San
Francisco Bay Area, aspires to connect the modern generation of
Iranian-Americans with a broad spectrum of individuals and activities in the
community, from artists to academics and politicians. They have a vision of
creating a community of active, diverse, and engaged Iranians. Ahsha Safai, one of the group’s charter
members and former assistant to Mayor Gavin Newsom says: “We chose to help put
on this show with Beyond Persia because they are a dynamic organization that is
bridging the gap between both Iranian-Americans and the larger Bay area
community. They are full of brilliant ideas, creative energy, and wonderful
leadership with business acumen to back it all up. They represent everything that is good about the emerging
power-house that the Iranian-American community is becoming.”
|
Ahsha Safai is running for the Board of Supervisors in San
Francisco in District 11. One of
his main goals for the Iranian-American community to encourage a greater number
of younger Persians to engage in the political process and pursue a career in
public service.
 Tickets for this event are on sale via City
Box office, keyword: “SOLH” which means peace in Farsi. Ticket prices start at
$50 and $35 for students with a valid ID. VIP tickets (if still available are
$100 each and include preferred seating, post show dinner, dancing and meet and
greet with the shows artists.
For more information visit www.beyondpersia.org
or contact Laleh Hashemi:
info@beyondPersia.org
415-738-2182
|
