You should have been there Friday night for the “Solh” peace festival. Palace of Fine Arts — one of the biggest indoor halls in San Francisco — was packed with people who will remember it as the night Hamed Nikpay became a star [ earlier video — profile — homepage]. Most of you have not heard of him. But you will and you will be captivated. Guaranteeeed! We were also treated to a jazzy performance by Kiosk, including two new songs, leaving no doubt why they are the hottest and darned coolest Iranian rock band on the planet. Composer/pianist Arjang Rad made us think with his powerful mythical compositions and Sheila Vossough‘s debut as a stand-up comedian was very funny, very promising [ video]. Smart, beautiful, whitty Maryam Sayyad was perfect as the evening’s celebrity Emcee. And after the concert there was a big party in the lobby with people dancing and mingling with their favorite musicians and artists — as well as Behrooz Vossooghi, who was such a patient gentleman all night accepting every fan’s request for a photo with a living legend. Thanks a million to Lalé Welsh- Shahparaki and Amir Salamat of Beyond Persia for putting together another great event that offered the best of the best. They received much praise and recognition from City of San Francisco Board of Supervisiors’ Member Ross Mirkarimi and Immigrant Rights Commissioner Dr. Elahe Enssani. And we could have another Iranian American elected to office: Community Programs Liaison to the San Francisco Mayor’s Office Ahsha Safai formally announced his bid for District 11 Supervisor. 12345 next › last » 
