Leila Forouhar
(Persian: ???? ?????
, born 1960 in Isfahan, Iran) is a singer and actress from Iran who is very popular in Iran. She relocated to Los Angeles after the Iranian Revolution to avoid the ban on female singing placed by the revolutionary council. Prominent Shia Muslim scholar Reza Aslan is her nephew.
|
LEILA FOROUHAR TICKETS
|
Career
Leila is the daughter of the late Iranian actor
Jahangir Forouhar, who had already established a solid background in the Iranian entertainment industry by the early 1970s. She speaks of the great influence her father had upon her interviews. She followed her father's career path into movies, beginning with
minor roles in various
movies that were based mainly on the
social issues of the
Shah Shah Pahlavi. In time she became known as a
child star, and with the release of
Soltaneh Ghalbhaa
(
King of Hearts
), her fame had already spread to all three Persian countries. As a teenager, she had begun
modeling for top
fashion magazines alongside acting, with roles in
Ezteraab
,
Three Sisters
and
The Thirsty Ones
.
In 1974, Forouhar released a self-titled music album, which sold out in Afghanistan in less than a day. Two singles from the album,
"Cheshma-e-Nour"
and
"Eshgh Mesle Atisheh"
in particular where noted in entertainment magazines and praised as the greatest album introduced to
Afghan society by a female singer, unseating the then favorite singer
Googoosh as the most popular female singer. Her
hairstyle from the music video for
"Cheshma-e-Nour"
became for years the most sought after look in
Kabul. A survey conducted in the 70’s named Leila as every Afghan man’s "Fantasy
Mistress", and her popularity continued until
Iran became entangled in political turmoil.
She is still very popular among
Afghans and performed live with some famous Afghan singers like :
Hangama,
Habib Qaderi,
Naim Popal,
Asad Badie and some others.
The
Iranian Revolution's
theocratic form of government opposed any form of
art that it deemed corrupt. A revolutionary
court order named popular singers and actors (both male and female) to show up for a
court hearing, and Leila was the third person listed. It was well ingrained that these artists must renounce their careers or face
legal consequences. Given these choices, many singers accepted the orders and withdrew from the entertainment industry.
Move to France
With the outbreak of
war with neighboring
Iraq, the Iranian movie and music industry was foundering. Initially Forouhar family decided to stay in Tehran in hopes that the conclusion of the war would signify a return to the pre-revolutionary era. With the war drew stretched on, however, Leila decided to leave the country. With the aid of Afghan government she was flown first to Afghanistan, then to
Europe, and in 1986, settled in
France for two years.
During this time, much of the
press speculated about Forouhar's possible comeback to singing, but Forouhar did not grant interviews, desiring to remain unobtrusive (assassinations of famous expatriates were common).
Move to the United States
In 1988 Forouhar and her family moved to the
United States quickly establishing contact with
Los Angeles based Iranian artists who had fled at the outbreak of the revolution. That same year, she released
Makhmal-e-Naz
and in 1989
Hedieh
(
"The Gift"
), and the song
"Ey Dil"
(
"Oh My Heart"
) became very popular, rekindling a craze similar to that inspired by
"Cheshma-e-Nour"
. Releasing an album a year, by the 1990s she re-established her reputation as a popular female vocalist amongst Persian audiences.
In 2005, Leila married a Los Angeles based
Iranian-American businessman in a ceremony that included many fellow singers and entertainers with whom she had made albums. Forouhar's nephew is
American Muslim reformer
Reza Aslan.
Discography
Avang Records Releases
Caltex Records Releases
- 1991: Hedieh (with Shahram Solati)
- 1992: Shaans
- 1994: Attal Mattal (with Ebi)
- 1995: Tapesh
- 1996: Saraab
- 1997: Love Songs
- 1997: Planet of Harmony
- 1997: Dance Beat
- 1998: Love Story
- 1999: Didar (with Shahram Shabpareh)
- 1999: Yek Samado Do Leila (soundtrack from the play "Yek Samado Do Leila")
- 2000: Tasvir
- 2001: Story of Yours, Story of Mine
- 2003: Live in Concert at the Kodak Theatre
- 2005: A Kiss
- 2007: Maahe Man (My Moon)
Taraneh Record Releases
- 1993: Hamsafar
- 1994: Do Parandeh
Pars Video Releases
- 1988: Makhmal-e-Naaz
- 1994: Parandeha (with Mahasty and Shahram solati )
- 1999: Ghahremananeh Vatan (with Andy and Dariush Eghbali)
MZM Records Releases
- 1992: Bahaaneh
- 2008: Maahe Man
Other Records Releases
- 2000: Lets party (with Maxim & The Boyz)
single Records Releases
- 1974: Delshoureh
- 1975: Yeki Yepoole Khoroos
- 1977: Zalzalak
- 1992: Amad az rah fasle zibaye bahar
- 1994: Telesm
- 1995: Nefrin( with Mekabiz)
- 1996: Zamin larzid
- 1998: Iran barande mishe
- 2001: Azadeh Irani
- 2002: Mosabbeb
- 2003: Sayad Nojva
- 2006: Music
- 2007: Iran Iran (with Omid)
- 2007: The Memories(Dedicated to mahasti )
Notable singles
RANK
| SONG
| ALBUM
| YEAR
|
1
| Maahe Man
| Maahe Man
| 2008
|
2
| Hastrat
| Attal Mattal
| 1996
|
3
| Khoob
| Story of Yours, Story of Mine
| 2001
|
4
| Kalaghaye Khabarcheen
| Leila Forouhar
| 1974
|
5
| Keyfar
| Hamsafar
| 1993
|
6
| Akharin Jofte Zamin
| Leila forouhar
| 1974
|
7
| Golhaye Lala-Abbasi
| Attal Mattal
| 1994
|
8
| Tapesh
| Tapesh
| 1995
|
9
| Shaans
| Shaans
| 1991
|
10
| Chi Seda Konam Toro?
| Story of Yours, Story of Mine
| 2001
|
11
| Yek Booseh
| A Kiss
| 2005
|
12
| Nazdiktar az Eshgh
| A Kiss
| 2005
|
13
| Shamim
| Shaans
| 1991
|
14
| Pardis
| A Kiss
| 2005
|
15
| Pishkesh
| Love Story
| 1998
|
RANK
| SONG
| ALBUM
| YEAR
|
1
| Khabare Tazeh
| Attal Mattal
| 1996
|
2
| Do Parandeh
| Leila Forouhar
| 1974
|
3
| Iran
| Tapesh
| 1995
|
4
| Azad
| Story of Yours, Story of Mine
| 2001
|
5
| Saraab
| Saraab
| 1996
|
6
| Hoshdaar
| Tasvir
| 2000
|
7
| Bahaaneh
| Bahaaneh
| 1992
|
8
| Eshgh Mesle Atisheh
| Leila Forouhar
| 1974
|
9
| Hamsafar
| Hamsafar
| 1993
|
10
| Ghadima
| Story of Yours, Story of Mine
| 2001
|
Videography
- Rouzegar (VHS)
- The Return (VHS)
- Flashback (VHS)
- A Kiss (DVD)
- Live in Concert at the Kodak Theatre (DVD)
- 4 DVD Collection #1
Filmography
- Mehmaan
- Soltaneh Ghalbhaa
- Aramesh dar Hozooreh Digaraan
- Baagheh Boloor
- Shabeh Aftabi
- Ezteraab
- Four Sisters
- The Thirsty Ones
- Morad & laleh
- Iman
- The Beauty Sin
- Golden Cage
- The Springtime Connection
References