Faramarz Aslani, the acclaimed Iranian pop and folk singer, died of cancer on March 20, less than three weeks after he announced he had been diagnosed with the illness.
"On the evening of March 20, Faramarz Aslani succumbed to cancer, leaving this world during the dawn of Norouz. His departure, amidst the love of his family, brings a lasting goodbye," his wife, Marjan, said in a post on Instagram.
Aslani was being treated in the U.S. state of Maryland when he died.
On March 3, Aslani shared his cancer diagnosis, saying he was committing his remaining days to "treatment and reflection on his deep ties to Iran's rich cultural heritage."
Born in Tehran in 1954, Aslani studied at London University's College of Journalism before returning home in the early 1970s to start his career.
Even though the 1979 Islamic Revolution prompted him to head back to England and then on to the United States, he remained a pivotal figure in Iranian music for five decades, particularly resonant during times of protest in 2009 and again during Iran's recent Women, Life, Freedom protests.
His music, with flamenco-like guitar work fused with Persian poetry and contemporary sounds, created hits such as If, One Day (Age Ye Rooz).
With Iran's Islamic leadership stifling music and artistic creativity, Aslani and many fellow artists established in Los Angeles a vibrant and influential community of Iranians in exile. This diaspora is widely credited with playing a pivotal role in preserving and perpetuating the legacy of Iranian pop music in the decades since the revolution.
Tributes to Aslani have poured in since his death was announced, with fellow artist Dariush Eghbali describing the late singer as a "noble human" and "kind friend." Another prominent Iranian singer, Nasrollah Moein, remembered Aslani as a "star who can't be duplicated."
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, imprisoned for his opposition to Iran's regime, praised Aslani for continuing to be an activist for human rights in Iran at a time when some artists have compromised.
Since the 1979 revolution, female vocalists have faced a blanket ban on performing, while music concerts in general have been subjected to significant regulatory hurdles.
Many noted entertainers and cultural figures have been arrested for joining in or supporting protests sparked by the death in September 2022 of Mahsa Amini, who died while in police custody for an alleged head scarf violation.