Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents Pallett Band in San Francisco on Saturday, April 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM. Join us for an amazing program featuring Pallett’s new album, “Dream Away with Me,” and their old songs.

[SOLD OUT- SECOND SHOW ADDED] Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents Pallett Band in San Francisco on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 8:00 PM. Join us for an amazing program featuring Pallett’s new album, “Dream Away with Me,” and their old songs.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "Sounds of Azerbijan: A Musical Journey," honoring the late Azerbaijani musician and icon, Chingiz Sadykhov, on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 7:30 PM at the Community School of Music and Arts' Finn Center in Mountain View. Join us for an enchanting night of music by amazing musicians Amir Bayat on piano, Vahid Bayat vocals, Aydin Shaterian on tar, with special guest musician: Imamyar Hasnov on Kamancheh. This event is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Join us for an intimate performance by Gelareh Sheibani on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM at Central Stage in Richmond. Accompanied by Mohammad Talani (arrangement, guitar), Arash Pajand Moghaddam (drums) , and Lukas Vesely (bass), Gelareh will perform a selection of her nostalgic songs and works from her new collection.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents: In remembrance of Dariush Mehrjui, this recent documentary explores the creation of his groundbreaking 1969 Iranian New Wave film The Cow.

Filmmaker Bahman Maghsoudlou will be present for questions and answers following the screening.

“An incisive, illuminating look at THE COW, arguably the most important and influential film in the history of Iranian cinema.” — Godfrey Cheshire

London, New York, and San Francisco unite in a groundbreaking collaboration for the "We Are One #iran Short Film Festival." The international event brings attention to Iran's Woman.Life.Freedom movement, spotlighting the ongoing advocacy for women's rights.

DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM

Diaspora Arts Connections proudly presents “A Gathering of Light for Yalda” on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM) at Leon Events Hall in San Francisco. Join us for a night of unity through music, dance, and poetry in honor of Shabe Yalda as we envision peace and unity on earth, bringing light into the darkest nights of the year on Winter Solstice. Multi-instrumentalist Amir Etemadzadeh will lead a band of musicians featuring Azadeh Farpour (Vocals), Sara Saberi (Barbat and Vocals), Aydin Shaterian (Azeri Tar) and Amir Etemadzadeh (Percussion). Acclaimed Choreographer and dancer Miriam Peretz will lead the Nava Dance Collective in this production.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents "A Night of Music with Mohammad Khodadadi" on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 8:00 PM at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts' SecondStage. Mohammad Khodadadi will talk about the history of Persian music and walk you through nostalgic songs and anecdotes and demonstrate the different modes of the traditional Persian music modal system. This presentation is entirely in Persian language

Diaspora Arts Connection and Freight & Salvage proudly present Marjan & Mahsa Vahdat and Tord Gustavsen on Thursday, November 30, 2023, a unique collaboration between the Internationally acclaimed Iranian singers and musicians Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat, known for their enchanting voices and deep-rooted belonging to their heritage with their innovative musical expression and wide ranging repertoire, and the world acclaimed pianist Tord Gustavesn recognized for his mastery of subtle nuances and breathtaking improvisations.

Diaspora Arts is proud to welcome back Hamed Nikpay and his world music band to the San Francisco Bay Area. Join us for an evening of enchanting music on Sunday, November 19, 7:00 pm at the Brava Theater Center. Hamed will be accompanied by Dan Sistos, Music Director and guitarist, T.J. Troy on Tabla and percussion, and Alfredo Caceres on Flamenco guitar.

Join us for a night of music from Boushehr with Paris-based musician Habib Meftah and Netherlands-based musician Rouzbeh Esfand on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at San Francisco's DNA Lounge.

DAC is a community partner of this screening.

Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships at arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly welcomes Iranian vocalist and musician Marjan Farsad to Los Angeles. Please join us for an evening of beautiful music as Marjan Farsad and her amazing band perform her repertoire of nostalgic and new songs.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly welcomes the return of Iranian vocalist and musician Marjan Farsad to San Francisco. Please join us for an evening of beautiful music as Marjan Farsad and her amazing band perform her repertoire of nostalgic and new songs.

Join us for a screening of Sierra Urich's Joonam, followed by a Q/A session with the Director at Central Stage on Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3:00 PM (Pacific). This event is co-sponsored by Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, Diaspora Arts Connection, Iranian American Bar Association (IABA), and Iranian American Women's Foundation.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents London-based musician Misagh Morady live at Central Stage in her debut Bay Area performance. Misagh will be accompanied by Mohammad Talani and other amazing musicians who will perform music from her previous and upcoming projects.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents Vienna-based vocalist Emma, accompanied by composer and musician Erik Asatrian on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

For the first time ever, "Let Her Sing 2023: A Celebration of Female Voices" will take place in Los Angeles. Our stellar lineup will take to stage at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, September 24, 2023 at 7:00 PM. Ticket link and further information coming soon.

Please save the date of September 23, 2023 for "Let Her Sing 2023: A Celebration of Female Voices." Once again our stellar lineup will take to stage at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 7:00 PM.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents Elana Sasson, who will perform with Imam Hamdani on guitar, Aaron Kierbel on percussion, Niloufar Shiri on Kamanche, and Safa Shokrai on bass.

Elana Sasson is an Iranian/Kurdish American vocalist and musician born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has trained in classical and regional music of Iran with master musicians Mahsa Vahdat and Marjan Vahdat, and holds a M.M in Contemporary Performance and Production at Berklee College of Music.

Join us on Saturday, June 24 from 2–4pm for a live music presentation I Also Want to Be an “Iranian Woman” from Iranian multi-instrumentalist Kamila Thunder. Kamila will play the ney (traditional Persian reed flute), an instrument that she feels resonates with her gender challenges of “hearing the voice of both a woman and a man whispering in her ear.”

Join us Saturday, June 3 from 2-4pm for "Remembering Fereydoun Farrokhzad", a music, poetry, and community event in remembrance and celebration of queer Iranian activist, poet, and entertainer Fereydoun Farrokhzad, who was brutally murdered in Germany in 1992. This event is free and open to the public

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly presents award-winning Kurdish singer Aynur in San Francisco on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at Fort Mason’s Cowell Theater. Aynur is the most prominent Kurdish singer of our times. Her music is grounded in traditional Kurdish folk songs, with several of them being more than 300 years old as well as her own compositions. Aynur gives these folk songs a fresh, contemporary makeover, her astonishing lyrics narrating stories about the life and suffering of Kurdish people, women especially. Aynur fuses with stylistic elements of western music, above all jazz. The result is a unique, unmistakable sound that forms a link between the past and the future. Over the decades Aynur has become a global star of the world music scene as a musical voice of the Kurds.

Diaspora Arts Connection proudly welcomes back King Raam to the Bay Area. King Raam will perform an intimate set on Friday, April 21, 2023 at 8:00 PM at Central Stage. Join us!

Diaspora Arts Connection and Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University proudly present an ekphrastic poetry reading by Rooja Mohassessy on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 3:00 pm at the 2727 Gallery in Berkeley.