Famous Iranians > Musicians > ELAHE,WHITE REVOLUTION PASIONARIA, PASSES AWAY AGE 71… BY DARIUS KADIVAR
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Singer Performer Bahar Gholam Hosseini, better known as Elahe by her fans died at Age 71 on August 15th in a Hospital in Tehran after struggling against Cancer. She was a major popular music diva whose popularity thrived for over half a century. She was also host to over a 100 radio shows of a popular show called Golha aka Flowers on Radio Iran. Her particularly warm voice led Davood Pirnia, the founder of the show to promote her to actually become its main host Elahe was to work with major musicians and composers such as Mansour Ahmadi, Majid Vafadar, Javad Lashkari, Abbas Shahpouri, and Parviz Yahaghi to name a few. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Elahe stopped her singing career and all her professional activities in the media’s and the Arts. She fled Iran like most of her colleagues lucky enough to leave the country for the US and during the 80’s and 90’s worked in L.A.
Like her fellow colleague Marzieh, she was even lured into the Mujahedin Khalge (M.K.O) Political organization and even traveled to Iraq to meet its leaders Maryam and Massoud Rajavi where the Organization was settled under the auspices of the Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein. However in one of her last interviews given in 2005 to former MKO member of British Nationality Ann Singleton, she firmly criticized the MKO and its leadership for their manipulative methods and dogma’s. She expressed regrets for having brought her support for some time to a political movement that is labeled as a Terrorist Organization by the European Union and the United States. She was also to accuse the organization for operating in a similar way as religious cults and using brainwashing methods (see Entire Interview with Ann Singleton) as well as psychological and physical threats on anyone who tries to leave the movement. Unlike Marzieh, Elahe never became a full member of the MKO but as explained in her interview had accepted to sing for Iranians abroad and was seductively approached by MKO members and isolated from her initial apolitical audience. Ironically Elahe was actually at the forefront of the Former Imperial Regime’s campaign of modernization that was spearheaded by the Shah of Iran in the aftermath of the Mossadegh years. The White Revolution of the 1960’s also known as The Revolution of King and People was the Royal Response to bringing social progress and economic growth to Iranians as a step towards modernization thanks to Iran’s Oil Revenues. It was a widely popular and smart political initiative on behalf of the Shah that overshadowed for some time the political crisis of the Mossadegh era. It put an end to an obsolete and corrupt feudal system that saw the emergence of an educated middle class while the Rural population was to be granted land from the Royal Estates. The great success’ of the White Revolution helped modernize Iranian society in a faster pace than many other neighboring countries and compensated during nearly a decade for the Imperial regime’s democratic shortcomings and the negative impact of the 1953 Coup. A two Party System allowed political debate within the parliament and Women for the first time in the country’s history were allowed to vote and participate in elections as any other male compatriot. The White Revolution rallied both the intelligentsia and local politicians but made fatal enemies in the ranks of the clerical aristocracy many of whom lost their so-called God Given Lands and Estates. Naturally Artists and popular figures in the public eye were asked to bring in their support and talents to promote the Revolution of King and Country through Concerts, Shows or films to boost the nation’s enthusiasm. Elahe was therefore one of many public figures who Openly supported this bloodless Revolution through her performances and particularly her song Engheelabeh Sefid aka White Revolution.
Unfortunately the positive idealism of the White Revolution of the 60’s faded with the Shah’s major political mistake: The Creation of a One Party System dubbed the Rastakhiz by the mid 70’s. It gave rise to growing distrust towards the Shah’s political intentions and contributed to the ultimate popularity of the upcoming religious revolution.
Knowing that she was fatally ill, Elahe had chosen to return to Iran a few years ago and was taken care of through medical therapy. She died a few months after another Music Icon of the Pahlavi Era: Mahasti. The latter however died in exile in the US.<
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Destiny plays a strange role in the lives of people all the more when they have been in the Public Eye and in the Public Hearts as was the case of Elahe and Mahasti. They belonged to a rare generation of talents that lived the Highlights of Glory and the Loneliness of exile. They most probably even felt this loneliness all the more strongly given that they were Big Stars in their lifetimes and as is often the case in Show business, there image and persona’s belonged not only to themselves but to their Audience and Fans. Mistakes or success “for these mortal goddesses” are magnified often out of proportion. What remains ultimately is their work and Elahe will remain first and foremost a Legendary Voice and irreplaceable Presence in the History of Iranian Music and Media.
May She Rest in Peace.
Authors Notes:
Recommended Readings:
At 82 Is MKO Diva Bidding Farewell to Political Activism or to Music Career? By Darius KADIVAR
When Giants Meet: Googoosh Greets Shahbanou Farah at Madison Concert NY by Darius KADIVAR
A brief History of the White Revolution (Iran Chamber)
Recommended Watching:
The White Revolution Propaganda Film with Elahe Song (youtube)
A French Documentary on The White Revolution and the Land Reform 1963 (youtube)
Shah interviewed by Swiss TV in the 1960’s talks about Domestic and International Policy ( In Regard to the Soviet Union) of his country (youtube)
Photo 1: Title
Photo 2 & 3: White Revolution of the 1960’s also known as The Revolution of King and People was the Royal Response to the Mossadegh Years. (Bottom) It overshadowed Imperial regime’s democratic shortcomings since the infamous 1953 Coup but brought crucial and constructive changes to Iranian society in less than a decade.
Photo 4: Photo 5: Interview
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