Hayedeh

Hayedeh (Farsi: هایده), born Masoumeh Dadehbala, was born in 1942 in Tehran. She emigrated to the UK shortly before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and later moved to Los Angeles. She died from a heart attack in 1990, at the age of 47, after a performance at the Casablanca Club in Albany, California.

According to Prof. Erik Nakhjavani in the Encyclopedia Iranica, "Hayedeh sang with technical authority and passionate energy. Her laryngeal control made it possible for her to produce a series of graceful vibrato and glissando vocalizations required by the Avaz [Persian vocal music]. She could smoothly pass from the upper reaches of her alto voice to the lower, fuller, and darker range of the contralto. This mixture of strong laryngeal strength and learned vocal technique gave her alto-contralto voice a rare, powerful resonance and texture in the performance of the Avaz. Furthermore an acute sense for musical timing, the rhythmic flow of vocal music, affective musical phrasing, and poetic delivery enabled her to express and interpret effectively any songs she sang."