Roqe

A feature interview with Iranian-American recording artist and author, Sepehr Haddad. Sepehr joins Jian from Maryland, USA, to discuss his musical group, Shahin and Sepehr, and his new novel, “A Hundred Sweet Promises,” that incorporates history, culture, and international romance, not to mention significant Iranians from his own lineage. Plus the Roqe Team debates the merits of smoking on screen and presents the Letters of the Week.

“The Story of Kayhan” - Part 6 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did an Iranian daily newspaper that was, at its peak, the most influential media voice in the Middle East, come to be? How much impact did Kayhan have by the 1960s and 70s? How did it navigate editorial autonomy whilst being funded by the Shah? And how did a newspaper that had become identified for its powerful voice and support for the monarchy morph into a journal that is now an organ of the Islamic Republic? Acclaimed journalist, political analyst, and author, Amir Taheri, the man who served as Executive Editor-in-Chief of Kayhan in Iran from 1972-1979, joins Jian Ghomeshi from Paris to make the case that Kayhan in its heyday was a media monolith.

A feature interview with superstar British dancer, Yasmine Naghdi, Principal Ballerina of the The Royal Ballet. Yasmine joins Jian from London to discuss her identity, her upbringing, her discipline, and her journey to becoming the first Persian ballerina - and only one of Middle-Eastern background - to be a member of the storied Royal Ballet company. Plus the Roqe Team convenes to chat about Persian parents, dance in Iran, Arsenal’s winning days, and the audience Letters of the Week.

“The Creation of Kanoon” - Part 5 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. What exactly was Kanoon? What is it today? And how did one of the most progressive systems for the cultural education and creativity of kids and teens - anywhere in the world - begin in Iran? The founder and Managing Director, from 1965-1979, of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults known as Kanoon, Lily Amir-Arjomand, also the former head of the National Library, and an associate professor at Tehran University, joins Jian Ghomeshi from Naples, Florida, to tell the story of the creation of an institution that began as a children’s library and grew into a model of integrative creative learning for kids that was a model for the world during the Pahlavi Dynasty, and continues to thrive today.

Feature interviews with celebrated Iranian-French designer, Tara Ghazanfar, and Iranian-American photographer and producer, Manoosh Nabavi. Tara joins Jian from London to talk about her trendsetting Tara Zadeh handbag line, her incorporation of architecture and symmetry into designs influenced by Iranian colours and culture, and her strong Iranian identity despite being born and raised in the West. Manoosh joins Jian from Los Angeles to chat about her career path from starting a media company in Iran in her teens, to internationally-celebrated photographer, to opening her own film studio in LA. Plus the Roqe Team pore over the Letters of the Week debating a recent episode of The Contemporary History of Iran, and Jian explains English halloween.

“How the Iran-Iraq War Benefited Khomeini” - Part 4 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How much did the new Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini regime actually benefit from a war that was declared a patriotic and religious national duty in the early 1980s? And, in fact, can it be argued that the consolidation of power by Khomeini and the Islamic formalists in the years during and after the conflict was actually only made possible by an 8-year war? Iranian-American scholar, Dr. Mateo Mohammad Farzaneh, associate professor of history at Northeastern Illinois University, and author of the new book, “Iranian Women & Gender in the Iran-Iraq War,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from Chicago to make the case that the longest war of the 20th Century actually served as a tool and necessary crisis to rally a divided and suddenly isolated Iranian nation, and cement the power of the Islamic Republic leaders.

A look at the growing popularity of online English lessons for Iranians, featuring interviews with two internet stars - Houshang Noormohamadi of “houshang_academy” and Shahrzad Kazemi, the host of “LearningEnglishWithSherry.” Houshang and Sherry join Jian from Oklahoma and Vancouver, respectively, to address the trends, tribulations and passions of Persians teaching English. Plus the Roqe Team debate how Iranians are supposed to politely dismiss sombre declarations.

“Farah Diba and the Rise of Iranian Art” - Part 3 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How much did young Queen Farah shape the trajectory of arts and culture for Iran in the mid-20th Century? And specifically, what was her impact and influence in bringing art, culture and museums to Iran in the 1960s and 70s? Iranian-American scholar, art advisor and curator, Dr. Layla Diba, the first woman museum director in Iran, joins Jian Ghomeshi from New York City to make the case that Farah Diba’s role was enormous during the final years of the Pahlavi era, in reshaping the collection, appreciation, and global recognition of Persian art for years to come.

A feature interview with Iranian-American tech entrepreneur, investor, CEO and co-founder of the education nonprofit Code.org, Hadi Partovi. Hadi joins Jian from Seattle to discuss his first experiences coding on a Commodore 64 as a kid during the Iran-Iraq war, his migration to America with his family living in one bedroom, his ascension through Harvard to Microsoft and the development of Internet Explorer, becoming an early investor in startups like Facebook, Uber, airbnb, Dropbox, SpaceX, and life lessons learned with his mission to give back through computer science education for students around the world. Plus, the Roqe Team discuss the implications of a Persian “Squid Game.”

“The Americans and the ’53 Coup” - Part 2 of the new Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. What exactly was the role of the United States in the removal of the popular Prime Minister Mossadegh in August 1953? And what was the American incentive to get involved? And how does that pivotal event affect American action on the foreign stage right up to today? Author and award-winning foreign correspondent, Stephen Kinzer joins Jian Ghomeshi from Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss his bestselling book, “All the Shah’s Men,” and the American role in an event that he believes reshaped the geopolitical history of the world.