A new documentary podcast series, The Nightingale of Iran, is hosted by sisters Danielle and Galeet Dardashti, who are searching for answers about their family.
Danielle is a storyteller and documentarian, while Galeet is an anthropologist and musician. As well as hosting, the pair co-created, and co-executive produced the series which is presented by The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and distributed by PRX.
In the 1950s, a golden age for Jews in Iran, religious Jew Younes Dardashti became a national celebrity, singing at the Shah’s palace and on the radio. He was called The Nightingale of Iran and in the early 1960s, his son Farid became a teen idol on TV.
They were loved by Iranian Muslims, but at the height of their fame, they left the country. It has always been a mystery to Danielle and her sister Galeet as to why their family left Iran. And how come they abandoned their Iranian identity?
Now, in their documentary podcast series, the sisters uncover painful secrets unspoken for generations.
The podcast challenges stereotypes and underscores a shared culture between Muslims and Jews at a time when both are often assumed to be hopelessly divided.
The six-episode series of The Nightingale of Iran will be available weekly from today, Tuesday 6 February on all podcast platforms.
