Maryam Akhondy

Maryam Akhondy, born in 1957 in Tehran, Iran, is a singer who began her career as a teenager. She studied theater science at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tehran while training under Ostad Nasrollah Nassepour. After moving to Germany in 1986 following the Islamic Revolution, Akhondy co-founded the Iranian music scene in exile and performed with groups like Nawa and Chakawak. She formed her own ensemble, Maryam Akhondy & Barbad, which released Sarmast – Iranian Art Music for Texts of Persian Poets in 2006. In 1987, she founded the women's vocal group Banu, focusing on traditional Iranian women’s songs and releasing Banu: Songs of Persian Women. Akhondy has collaborated with various artists, including Bobby McFerrin and Mike Herting, and her work spans zoroastric music to jazz-influenced compositions. She received the WDR-Jazzpreis in the Musikkulturen category in 2023 for her contributions to bridging musical cultures.

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