Googoosh, the ‘Voice of Iran,’ has gone quiet – and that’s her point

The 75-year-old pop star is part of a generation of Iranians in the diaspora who are watching, with bated breath, as their compatriots seek to topple the Islamic Republic.

By: Richard Nedjat-Haiem, University of California, Santa Barbara, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 15, 2026

Words: 1,294

Last Updated: 2 months ago

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By Richard Nedjat-Haiem, University of California, Santa Barbara

Before Beyoncé, before Cher, before Madonna, there was Googoosh.

The 75-year-old Iranian megastar catapulted to stardom in Iran during the 1970s, only to be silenced by the Islamist regime that took power after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In 2000, she was finally allowed to leave Iran to live in exile.

For Iranians – particularly those in the diaspora – Googoosh symbolizes an era of cosmopolitanism

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