Homeyra is the stage name of Iranian singer Parvaneh Amir-Afshari to an aristocratic Iranian family in East Iran. She is a veteran celebrity of Iran’s Golden Years of music. Her voice has been measured to span six octaves. She was exposed to Persian music from an early age. Her family often hosted large dinner parties to which Iran's greatest musicians and singers were invited for guest entertainment. Her father took notice of this and diligently curtailed her exposure further. He also forbade her from performing in presence of non-family members and insisted if she must sing, then she do so only for him. At age 16, Homeyra married a German-educated Iranian businessman. He allowed her more freedom and encouraged her to sing professionally. So she took music lessons and also signed up for voice training courses. She secretly attended composer Ali Tajvidi’s classes for two years, leading her father to believe she was learning to drive a motor vehicle. Despite the initial bliss of her first marriage, she and her first husband have nonetheless divorced. Homeyra's second marriage was to the Iranian musician, Parviz Yahaghi. She currently lives in the United States. A few months ago, in early 2007, Homeyra's second husband, Parviz Yaghaghi, passed away in Iran - which came as a big shock for her. Since February 2007, she has experienced heart problems which required surgery. She has since resumed her career.
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