Monika Jalili – Songs of Iran

by: Jane Smith
February 19, 2010 5:27 pm
IRM:  Can you introduce yourself and enlighten our readers on how you came to be involved in music?
MJ: My name is Monika Jalili. I perform the music of Iran. I’ve always had a passion for singing since as far back as I can remember. While growing up, I sang in all the musicals in school and summer camp. I started singing professionally as a child, recording jingles for radio and television. I later attended LaGuardia High School of the Arts at Lincoln Center, majoring in voice.  Thanks to an incredible voice teacher and vocal ensemble there, my love and appreciation for music grew so much. I knew then that I wanted to pursue this as a career.
I then went on to pursue vocal studies at The Manhattan School of Music. After graduation, I went full force ahead into the field of musical theatre. I performed and toured with musicals all over the US.
About 7 years ago I was introduced to Persian music. I’d been invited to perform at a Norouz (Persian New Year) concert in Great Neck, New York. It was my very first time hearing the Iranian folk songs, and my first time attempting to sing them. Shortly after this concert, I decided to put together a cd of a few of these songs, with just my voice, and I sent them to my husband’s family. (They are Iranian.) They were so touched by my  taking the time to learn songs from their culture. I went to visit my father-in-law a few weeks later in Brussels. When I got in his car, he put a very old cassette into the cassette player and said, “I think this is a song you should sing.” It was Mohammad Nouri singing ‘Jaan-e Maryam (My Sweet Maryam),’ a song from the 1950s.  It was the sweetest voice I’d ever heard, and the music was just so stirring and beautiful. I didn’t know what the poem was about at the time, but I knew I was going to be singing it. This was when I began to fall in love with the music of Iran.
I went back to New York and immediately got together with an Iranian musician there and started working on this song and many others that were popular during the 1940s – 1970s. Each song I was introduced to was more beautiful than the next. I felt as if these songs had been written for me. It was a bit overwhelming at first, particularly with me not speaking  Persian at the time.  So, I went out to Los Angeles for a month and took Persian lessons with a private teacher. I also worked with a workbook and cassette on my own for several months after that.
Within a year, this musician and I had performed at quite a few events in the New York area. Unfortunately, he was unable to pursue this full-time, so I decided to put together an ensemble. In October of 2004, I formed my ensemble to perform the music of Iran, the songs of love and hope from the decades prior to the Iranian revolution of 1979.
IRM: You bring the culture of Iran to the ears of people from all over the world how has this been accepted?
MJ: The response has been really wonderful. We have fans all over the world, with many of them in Iran.  Iranians have been very touched by my delving into their culture and sharing it with the world. And, for those who are not of Iranian heritage, this has truly been an eye-opener for them of the Iranian culture. For many, it’s the first time they’re hearing the music and poetry of Iran.The songs I perform are songs of love and hope, themes which we can all relate to, no matter what background we’re from. These particular songs are very much western influenced, particularly in the music. My goal has been and still is to share this beautiful music with as many people as possible. I’ve even translated several of the Persian texts into English and French, to make this accessible to a wider audience.
IRM: How do you want the music to be perceived? What would you like your listeners to take from the music?
MJ: I would like my listeners to feel the beauty, simplicity and humanity of the songs I perform, and for them to see that Iran is truly part of our global family.  And, to expose them to the beauty of the Iranian culture.
IRM: I see you perform live on a regular basis, how important is this to you?
MJ: This is very important. I love performing these songs live for an audience. It is a wonderful way to share this music.  I feel so completely at home when on stage. It’s one of my greatest loves. There is never a concert without tears in the audience……Iranians understanding the poetry, young and old, remembering the past, thinking of the future.
IRM:  What would be your ultimate live performance venue and why?
MJ: I think my ultimate live performance venue would be Iran. If there would be a way to make a concert for us there possible, what a dream that would be……to sing these songs in the country of their birth.
IRM: As an independent artist what do you find the most useful aspect of the Internet?
MJ: The internet has proven to be an amazing way for me to connect with the world. Little did I know that it would set off my career in Iranian music. My ensemble and I gave a concert at The Trinity Church at Wall Street in October 2005, which was telecast live on the web.  Within 4 months of the concert, it had been downloaded more than 350,000 times, the highest ever for the Trinity Church. We had fans writing from all over the world, with so many of them in Iran.  And, countless performance invitations that took us all over the US, Canada, Europe and even Dubai. The internet continues to be a great way to market oneself and to learn. It has proven to be a tremendous source for me to research more music from Iran.
IRM: Where do you see your self in 5 years?  What is your ultimate goal?
MJ: In 5 years, I see myself still singing. Perhaps the music of Iran…..perhaps music of elsewhere.
IRM: What else would you like to tell your fans?
MJ: Thank you for your all encouragement and support. I hope that I have opened your hearts to the beauty of Iran.
MonikaInsertIRM:  Can you introduce yourself and enlighten our readers on how you came to be involved in music?

MJ: My name is Monika Jalili. I perform the music of Iran. I’ve always had a passion for singing since as far back as I can remember. While growing up, I sang in all the musicals in school and summer camp. I started singing professionally as a child, recording jingles for radio and television. I later attended LaGuardia High School of the Arts at Lincoln Center, majoring in voice.

Thanks to an incredible voice teacher and vocal ensemble there, my love and appreciation for music grew so much. I knew then that I wanted to pursue this as a career.

I then went on to pursue vocal studies at The Manhattan School of Music. After graduation, I went full force ahead into the field of musical theatre. I performed and toured with musicals all over the US.

About 7 years ago I was introduced to Persian music. I’d been invited to perform at a Norouz (Persian New Year) concert in Great Neck, New York. It was my very first time hearing the Iranian folk songs, and my first time attempting to sing them. Shortly after this concert, I decided to put together a cd of a few of these songs, with just my voice, and I sent them to my husband’s family. (They are Iranian.) They were so touched by my  taking the time to learn songs from their culture. I went to visit my father-in-law a few weeks later in Brussels.

When I got in his car, he put a very old cassette into the cassette player and said, “I think this is a song you should sing.” It was Mohammad Nouri singing ‘Jaan-e Maryam (My Sweet Maryam),’ a song from the 1950s.  It was the sweetest voice I’d ever heard, and the music was just so stirring and beautiful. I didn’t know what the poem was about at the time, but I knew I was going to be singing it. This was when I began to fall in love with the music of Iran.

I went back to New York and immediately got together with an Iranian musician there and started working on this song and many others that were popular during the 1940s – 1970s. Each song I was introduced to was more beautiful than the next. I felt as if these songs had been written for me. It was a bit overwhelming at first, particularly with me not speaking  Persian at the time.  So, I went out to Los Angeles for a month and took Persian lessons with a private teacher. I also worked with a workbook and cassette on my own for several months after that.

Within a year, this musician and I had performed at quite a few events in the New York area. Unfortunately, he was unable to pursue this full-time, so I decided to put together an ensemble. In October of 2004, I formed my ensemble to perform the music of Iran, the songs of love and hope from the decades prior to the Iranian revolution of 1979.

IRM: You bring the culture of Iran to the ears of people from all over the world how has this been accepted?

MJ: The response has been really wonderful. We have fans all over the world, with many of them in Iran Iranians have been very touched by my delving into their culture and sharing it with the world. And, for those who are not of Iranian heritage, this has truly been an eye-opener for them of the Iranian culture. For many, it’s the first time they’re hearing the music and poetry of Iran.The songs I perform are songs of love and hope, themes which we can all relate to, no matter what background we’re from. These particular songs are very much western influenced, particularly in the music. My goal has been and still is to share this beautiful music with as many people as possible. I’ve even translated several of the Persian texts into English and French, to make this accessible to a wider audience.

IRM: How do you want the music to be perceived? What would you like your listeners to take from the music?

MJ: I would like my listeners to feel the beauty, simplicity and humanity of the songs I perform, and for them to see that Iran is truly part of our global family.  And, to expose them to the beauty of the Iranian culture.

IRM: I see you perform live on a regular basis, how important is this to you?

MJ: This is very important. I love performing these songs live for an audience. It is a wonderful way to share this music.  I feel so completely at home when on stage. It’s one of my greatest loves. There is never a concert without tears in the audience……Iranians understanding the poetry, young and old, remembering the past, thinking of the future.

IRM:  What would be your ultimate live performance venue and why?

MJ: I think my ultimate live performance venue would be Iran. If there would be a way to make a concert for us there possible, what a dream that would be……to sing these songs in the country of their birth.

IRM: As an independent artist what do you find the most useful aspect of the Internet?

MJ: The internet has proven to be an amazing way for me to connect with the world. Little did I know that it would set off my career in Iranian music. My ensemble and I gave a concert at The Trinity Church at Wall Street in October 2005, which was telecast live on the web.  Within 4 months of the concert, it had been downloaded more than 350,000 times, the highest ever for the Trinity Church. We had fans writing from all over the world, with so many of them in Iran.  And, countless performance invitations that took us all over the US, Canada, Europe and even Dubai. The internet continues to be a great way to market oneself and to learn. It has proven to be a tremendous source for me to research more music from Iran.

IRM: Where do you see your self in 5 years?  What is your ultimate goal?

MJ: In 5 years, I see myself still singing. Perhaps the music of Iran…..perhaps music of elsewhere.

IRM: What else would you like to tell your fans?

MJ: Thank you for your all encouragement and support. I hope that I have opened your hearts to the beauty of Iran.

Connect with Monika - www.monikajalili.com