A feature interview with Iranian-British boxer, Alireza “Razor Ali” Ghadiri. Ali joins Jian from London, England, to share his harrowing story of a youth full of tragedy and difficulty in Iran, his asylum in the UK as a teen in 2016, and his remarkable rise to becoming a big buzz young fighter in Britain with a bout coming up at Wembley Arena. Plus the Roqe Team discusses Nowruz rituals and Reza and Kyan’s odd recent encounter at a Persian hair salon.

“The Growth of Cinema in Pre-Revolutionary Iran” - Part 22 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. Iranian film has been celebrated internationally for its artistic significance and cultural importance in recent decades. But what do we find if we look at the genesis and growth of modern cinema in Iran back to the mid-20th Century? And more specifically, how can we assess the influence of Western culture and Hollywood films on what developed in Iran in the pre-revolutionary years? Professor and Director of the Film Studies Program at Michigan State University, Dr. Kaveh Askari, author of the new book, “Relaying Cinema in Midcentury Iran: Material Cultures in Transit,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from East Lansing, Michigan, for a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation about how access, technology, and Western influence affected the development of a unique and powerful film culture in 20th Century Iran.

Roqe 170 - A feature interview with Iranian-Australian singer, songwriter, dancer, and creative force, Layla Kardan. Layla joins Jian from Dubai, UAE, where she has recently established a groundbreaking new dinner-theatre cabaret named, Papillon, with a mission to break regional stereotypes and push the boundaries of what has been the norm in the Middle East. Layla serves as the creator, producer and one of the performers in a multi-sensory experience that borrows from European burlesque and lively elegant cabarets. Plus the Roqe Team convenes to discuss how the Ukraine crisis raises sensitive questions for Iranians when it comes to issues of sanctions, sports bans, and international condemnation.

“Literary Roots of the Revolution” - Part 21 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. What role did Iranian writers and intellectuals play in bringing on a revolution in Iran in 1979? How important was Persian literature in creating political sea change? And what were the lessons for those who fought political repression and censorship in the Pahlavi era and supported the overthrow of the Shah, when they faced an even worse plight under Khomeini? Distinguished writer and professor of Persian at the UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Culture, Dr. Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak, author of the recent book, “ A Fire of Lilies: Perspectives on Literature and Politics in Modern Iran,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from Los Angeles to discuss the intellectual and creative class that supported the revolution of 1979 and their reasons for doing so, the heartbreak of those same intellectuals as the revolution was coopted by Islamic formalists who consolidated power, and the writers who were executed, imprisoned or exiled in the aftermath.

A feature interview with Persian Drag Show founder and producer, Javid Jabari, in the Roqe Studio. Javid joins Jian to discuss his difficult years as a young gay man living in Iran, the plight of the LGBTQ community there, and his move to Canada and mission to spread awareness and fight homophobia in the Iranian community. Plus the Roqe Team convenes to reflect on the devastating military attack on Ukraine and how the global Iranian community is standing in solidarity with Ukrainians today, despite the government of Iran’s coziness with Russia.

“Foreign Policy Under the Ayatollahs” - Part 20 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How are we to make sense of the way Iran has dealt with the world in the last 43 years? What has been the foreign policy approach between a stated mission of “non-alignment,” saber-rattling and uneven relations with the West, and an increasing turn towards the East? German-Iranian political scientist and Middle East expert, Dr. Ali Fathollah-Nejad, author of the new book, “Iran in an Emerging New World Order: From Ahmadinejad to Rouhani,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from Berlin for a wide-ranging conversation about Iranian foreign policy since the revolution of 1979 and its shifts, contradictions and continuities.

Roqe 168 -A jam-packed new episode of Roqe featuring an interview with tech genius Siavash Alamouti, the winner of the prestigious 2022 Marconi Prize for communications, joining Jian from Oakland, and the musical super-siblings behind the band, Rhythm and Vibes, Sara and Nima Ahmadieh live in the Roqe Studio for a chat and performance. Plus the Roqe On-Air Team makes an announcement about a major forthcoming guest and Reza explains the nature of life back living with his Persian parents.

“The Evolution of Persian Music” - Part 19 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. What was Persian music before the 20th Century? How do we assess the development of sound and musical traditions in Iran during the Safavid and Qajar eras - important influences that may be heard all the way to today? American musician and ethnomusicologist, Dr. Margaret Caton, author of the new book, “A Persian Ode: Musical Life in Safavid and Qajar Iran,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from Los Angeles for a fascinating, entertaining, and non-traditional journey through the sounds and music of Persia in the periods leading to modern Iran, examined within a broader socio-economic, cultural and political context.

Roqe 167 -A special new edition of Roqe on Valentine’s Day exploring the passions, proclivities, and problems of love and relationships in the Persian diaspora. Jian is joined in the Roqe Studio by psychotherapist, certified counsellor, and public speaker, Yasamin Karimi, as well as psychologist and life coach, Neda Bayat, to give their perspectives on the current challenges facing Persian immigrants when it comes to matters of the heart. Plus, the Roqe on-air Team convenes to discuss Valentine’s gifts and census form omissions.

“From Arranged Marriage to White Marriage” - Part 18 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. Despite the abrogation of women’s rights and progressive family laws after the 1979 revolution, a fascinating new trend has emerged in modern Iran: Cohabitation of unmarried heterosexual partners where living spaces, rent, and groceries are shared - in defiance of laws that prevent such activity. Despite the condemnation of the Islamic Republic, the practise of so-called, “White Marriage” has emerged, where women and men in Iran voluntarily choose to live together without formal commitment, or fear of social and religious stigma, or fear of political consequences. Dr Janet Afary, the Mellichamp Chair in Global Religion and Modernity and a professor in Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the award-winning author of a new book, “Iranian Romance in the Digital Age,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from California to give context for the plight of women in Iran over the last century, the impact of the Pahlavi years and ’79 revolution on family laws and marriage conventions, and insights into why undocumented heterosexual cohabitations are rapidly becoming an urban norm under a regime that has banned them.