We are joined by Shaudi Bianca Vahdat, a Seattle-based Iranian-American musician and theatre artist exploring story-driven songwriting through influences that include musical theatre, jazz, classical, and both American and Iranian folk music. Shaudi shares stories of her heritage, her experiences as an artist, and info about her upcoming work, The Golden Door: an American immigrant song cycle, debuting at Seattle Center, June 8th 2025.

Learn more about Shaudi on her website:

https://www.shaudibiancavahdat.com

Check out her performance at Seattle Center, June 8 2025:

https://www.seattlecenter.com/events/event-calendar/artists-at-the-center-shaudi-vahdat

Intro music for this episode was created by Iranian-American artist DJ Pyum

Persis Karim of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies joins us to talk about her film The Dawn Is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life

The Dawn is Too Far is screening at UW Bothell Feb 18 and SIFF Uptown Feb 19.

https://www.peyvandnpo.org/events

Intro music for this episode was created by Iranian-American artist DJ Pyum

My full interview with Hanna Eady of Dunya Productions where we talk history, art, politics, and the Feb 19th world premiere of his new play Almonds Blossom in Deir Yessin, based on a historic massacre that took place in the Palestinian village of Deir Yessin. Learn more by listening to our discussion then visit https://www.dunyaproductions.org and follow @dunyaproductions.

Intro music for this episode was created by Iranian-American artist DJ Pyum

My chat with Mohammad Rasoulipour of Eranshahr. He has been working to preserve Iranian culture by creating digital archives of art, an Iranian Mythical Creatures Card Game, a video game, and much more. Learn more at https://www.eranshahr.com/games/myths-gameIntro music by Iranian-American artist DJ Pyum

The Iron Sheik was a legendary championship WWF (World Wrestling Federation) wrestler and he was also an Iranian-American immigrants named Khosrow Vaziri. The Magen Boys (Jian and Page Magen) grew up with Vaziri as a family friend and in 2014 made documentary called "The Sheik" chronicling his story, his rise to fame and infamy, his fall from grace, and his ultimate redemption. Jian Magen was good enough to join me as we chatted about the legacy of The Iron Sheik, what it meant to him, and what it might mean for Iranian Americans and how we are represented in Western mainstream media, as Vaziri played into anti-Middle Eastern stereotypes to embody the ultimate villain character of professional wrestling.Intro song for this episode is "Carol of the Bells" by Iranian-American artist @DJPyum.Bent Fig Media:https://linktr.ee/bentfigmediaThe Sheik Documentary:   • THE SHEIK - A WRESTLING LEGEND | Full...  Magen Boys on Social:@magenboys @jimagenDJ Pyum:@djpyumhttps://djpyum.com/

My cousin, Neimah Djourabchi, actor, stuntman, and musician, joins me for one more discussion about the famed WWF wrestler The Iron Sheik.

Intro music by DJ Pyum