For Googoosh, the most famous singer in Iran's history, life has been a continuous act of balancing. Now 75, she is adding 'author' to her long list of roles with a revealing new memoir, even as her homeland grapples with profound societal shifts once again.
From Acrobat's Daughter to National Icon
The artist, born Faegheh Atashin, began her life in the spotlight as a child, performing a daring balancing act with her acrobat father, Saber Atashin. She recalls being balanced on a chair, which was itself perched on another chair resting solely on her father's chin. In her book, "Googoosh: A Sinful Voice," she dedicates it to him and the people of Iran, remembering how the audience held its breath during those early performances.
Her fame skyrocketed in the era of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. She became an icon of stage and screen, with her looks and hairstyles so widely copied that "Googooshi" entered the Farsi language as a descriptive term. However, her world changed irrevocably with the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Decades of Silence and a Tumultuous Personal Struggle
The new theocracy banned Googoosh from performing. For over two decades, her voice was silenced in public. During this period, she faced immense personal turmoil, which she details with stark honesty in her memoir, co-authored with Tara Dehlavi. She recounts battles with substance abuse, undergoing abortions, and even contemplating suicide while in New York City before making the difficult decision to return to Iran.
"I'm either telling my story or I'm not. I have to tell it all," Googoosh insisted to her co-author. Back in Iran, she faced harassment from authorities, who placed a lien on her home, denied her a passport, and at one point imprisoned her. Despite the ban, people constantly urged her to sing, a testament to her enduring connection with the public.
A Farewell Tour and a Nation in Change
In 2000, during the reformist government of President Mohammad Khatami, Googoosh secured a contract to perform abroad. She used the earnings to pay off her debts, obtained a passport, and left Iran. For the past 25 years, she has performed for the global Iranian diaspora, never returning to her country.
Her farewell tour and book launch coincide with a period of significant unrest in Iran. The 2022 death of Mahsa Amini sparked nationwide protests, with women increasingly defying the mandatory hijab law. Googoosh speaks directly to this struggle, stating, "We are seeing our youth, especially women, fighting for their most basic rights... and living a normal life like people in other parts of the world."
She also highlights the economic strain from international sanctions and the government's crackdowns. "Our young people grew old without ever enjoying their youth," she lamented.
While calling this a farewell tour, Googoosh leaves the door open for a return. "I prefer to leave my artistic work for a day when the Islamic Republic no longer exists in my country," she said, embodying the hope and unresolved tension that has defined her life and the life of her nation.
