Tahereh Najmi, Persian singer, U.S.A.

Tahereh Najmi
Photograph by Rosita Najmi.

Tahereh was born in Teheran, Iran, to a Bahá´í family who was actively involved in helping Bahá´í communities become established. So she was exposed to many Bahá´ís and they frequently moved house. She sang Bahá´í songs and chanted prayers as part of growing up...
Later she worked as a High school teacher but then lost her job due the Revolution and because she was a Bahá´í...
For four years, she and her children lived in India, and she worked at the school as a teacher and dormitory matron while the children went to school...
Over the years, Bahá´ís from across the world have encouraged her to record her talents. But she had always placed her children as her number one priority. After having studied the Four Year Plan, she realized now was the time.

She wanted to utilize the arts in hopes of teaching the Bahá´í Faith and also provide financial assistance by selling the tape as a fund-raiser. She also hopes that this will serve as one of the ways she is fulfilling her individual role in the Four Year Plan. She is also working on an autobiography about her adventures as a Bahá´í woman from Iran and her challenges in raising four children alone in a foreign land. So far, it is filled with many funny stories, other historic events, and unforgettable sacrifices.

However she did produce two music cassettes about eight years ago as fund raisers, but these are no longer available for sale. They consisted of chanting and some poems in Farsi. Both tapes were a cappella. Her current music cassette has been for sale since June of 1997 and includes six songs with the musicians Payam Jafari and Bahman Bashi. Tahereh wrote the music and lyrics for four of them. Some lyrics refer to her own background such as in the song
Vatan (Iran) (translation: Native Land (Iran))

I long to go back to my native country, Iran
so that my eyes may be kindled from the light.
I wish to go to Tehran to kiss the soil that Baha'u'llah walked on.
I would journey to Shiraz to be among the lovers of the Faith.
I have no other motives but these simple wishes.
While I yearned, I was told that my aspirations are a blazing fire from my heart, and that I was not alone. I am sorrowful to be disunited and so far away from my mother land; it is difficult. I wish I could make one more visit to that wonderful land.

Another song, Soghinameh sings of her love for Abdu´l-Bahá, Gonaham Bebakhsh (Forgive my trespasses) begs Baha'u'lláh to forgive our limitations, Payameh Soroosh encourages Bahá´ís to create a paradise all over the world and Ghiameh Aasheghaneh is a song of worship:

O Bahá´ís arise with heart and mind to your lover.
Fulfill your promise so there will be a sign of truth.
Our lives pan by quickly so, make the most of them....

Tahereh is available to travel to perform at fund raisers, conferences, Holy Days, or other special occasions. And in response to many requests, Part II, which is in the making, may include some chanted prayers.

excerpts from Arts Dialogue, March 1999, pages 8 - 9

Orders: $10.95 (US) per cassette. Please add 10% for shipping and handling. Payment must be received before orders will be shipped.

Send check or money order to: Bahá´í Persian Music, C/o Tahereh Najmi, 1325 Chipwood Circle Knoxville, TN 37932-3610 USA, Telephone: (423) 694-2170,

Email: tnajmi45@aol.com

Artist Profile: Arts Dialogue, March 1999

Arts Dialogue, Dintel 20, NL 7333 MC, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
email: bafa@bahai-library.com