Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Parvaneh Amir-Afshari (Persian: پروانه امير افشاری) also known as Homeyra (Persian: حميرا) is an Iranian singer. She is a veteran celebrity of Iran's Golden Years of music. Her voice has been measured to span three octaves.
Early life
Homeyra was born on 16 March 1945 in Tehran, Iran to an aristocratic Iranian family. To this day among eastern Iranians, the name "Amir-Afshari" is synonymous with affluence. Her father was a Malek (Grand Landlord) who owned over 150 towns in Iran. Her family's eminence was later to be an opposing factor in Homeyra's passion for singing.
Homeyra was exposed to Persian music from an early age. Her family often hosted large dinner parties to which Iran's greatest musicians and singers were invited for guest entertainment. Revering other musicians and singers, the young novice became interested in singing. Her father took notice of this and diligently curtailed her exposure further. He also forbade her from performing in presence of non-family members and insisted if she must sing, then she do so only for him. He and the matriarchs of the family saw her singing as a disgrace to the family's name.
At age 16, Homeyra married a German-educated Iranian businessman. He allowed her more freedom and encouraged her to sing professionally. So she took music lessons and also signed up for voice training courses. She secretly attended composer Ali Tajvidi's classes for two years, leading her father to believe she was learning to drive a motor vehicle.
Recent Events
On August 22, 2009, Homeyra held a unique concert with Michael and Pouya in New York. After the 2009 presidential elections in Iran, Homeyra sang the song "Jahan Kharan", dedicated to all Iranians affected by the aftermath of the largely disputed and fraudulent elections. Because of this her fans call her the "golden stone in Persian music". In February 2010, Homeyra announced that she will start a goodbye tour very soon called "Toure Khodahafezi". This tour will be held in over 50 cities around the world. On March 6, 2010, she performed a sold-out concert in Toronto. Homeyra's unique voice is loved by millions of Iranians. Her new album was scheduled for release in 2011.