Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri (1505 – 1959)
In a time where women’s role was very much in the home, Qamar ol Molouk Vaziri broke the mould.
Born in Takestan, her father died before she was born, and her mother, of typhoid, when she was just one and a half. Raised by her grandmother, who was a singer in the mosques, undertaking private gospel sining, she attributes this, to her love of singing.
Qamar learnt alongside her grandmother, until her grandmother’s ailing health lead to her being taught by others. Amongst her teachers, were classic Iranian masters – Darwish Khan, and Morteza Neydavou who was Jewish.
Morteza went on to take her under his wing, being very impressed with her strong voice. With a performance at the Tehran Grand Hotel’s Banquet Hall in 1924 at the age of 19, Qamar became the first woman to sing on stage in public, and to do so without the hijab.
The breaking of this taboo caused a stir, and suddenly a fear came over her. With the help of Police, she snuck away and refused to be paid for the performance, instead preferring for that money to go to the accompanying musicians.
While this performance was groundbreaking, it was not her last. Qamar (moon – as she was affectionately called) went on to perform widely across Iran and record 426 songs (only a third remain).
With the advent of radio in the 1940s she was asked to perform weekly programs which she did for 15 years. With her star in ascendency, fate had other plans. She suffered a stroke in 1956 which forced her into retirement, after a farewell concert.
Qamar was also known for her generosity and kindness, often donating her pay to the needy. Her last years were spent living very simply, and with her undertaking philanthropic activities.
Sadly, the stroke led to her losing her voice altogether, and she died in 1959. She was referred to as the ‘Queen of Persian music’. While she paved the way for other women to follow in her footsteps, she was not treated well by religious authorities when she died. They refused to accept her corpse, and allow her burial to be with loved ones. Instead she was buried alone and without a funeral fitting of her contributions to the culture of Iran.
Women like Qamar show the strength of character and resilience needed to survive and thrive in spite of the odds. She continues to insire with her strong, warm voice, to this day.
Women, Life, Freedom 