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Madison Square Garden , Oct 21, 2006

Googoosh & Mehrdad Concert

The Power of Googoosh!

The day after the concert, a medicine called GOOGOOSH!  

Every time I go to a Googoosh concert, I feel so relaxed, stress free and in such a cheerful mood the day after. With her, it’s like traveling in time to the past and connecting those golden memories to the present life for a better future. She is like a medicine for my soul and spirit.  

Once, someone was teasing me that if I STILL prefer Googoosh over Madonna after 30 years living in New York , then I'm Still a PURE Iranian.

My answer was, "In that case, just because of preferring Googoosh, I'll stay pure Iranian all my life, no matter where I'm living"!

She is the one who brings back all my childhood sweet memories growing up in Iran . She is my SYMBOL of the Iran I used to live in.  

It was before 9:00 pm and I was sitting in my seat waiting for the concert to start and all of a sudden I heard cheers and excitement from everyone present. Yes, here she was, Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi and her daughter Princess Farahnaz and her grand daughter entering the concert hall from the front row section entrance.

Unfortunately, only the people in that section had the opportunity to greet her up close and in person, and the conductors were not letting the rest of the people go to that section, and I don’t blame them. So, I had no chance for taking a picture to share. But, I was able to see them clearly  from where my seat was, and her majesty, Shahbanou Farah was so kind to even stand up to greet everyone upon constant excitement and loud cheers of the crowd.  

At 9:00 pm sharp, the band started playing the melody of Talagh, and here she was OUR GOOGOOSH, the One and Only Persian Super Star.  

I, we, love you Googoosh!

GOOGOOSH  KOOSH?  SHE'S RIGHT HERE WITH US!

SIX  YEARS HAS PASSED SINCE HER COME BACK  AND I  STILL THINK I’M DREAMING! 

Khabam Ya Bidaram, To Ba Mani Ba Man!!?

She was wearing a very elegant long golden dress with sparkles of silver sequins, and her high lighted blondish hair was worn down. Was she looking like an angel or what?

She reminded everyone that in each concert she usually starts warming up after the first few songs and specially her voice is also shaking tonight for the honor of performing in front of Pahlavi Royal Family. Then she bowed for them with highest respect and expressing her love for them.

The concert started by her singing Talagh to be followed by My Room after she was right mentioning why Iranians are usually late, since so many people were still just coming in. After My Room it was time for a joke and then the singing of a mixed version of Hejrat, Do Panjareh, Bavar Kon, Oon Manan and Harf very beautifully done. It was then that she invited Mehrdad to the scene with warmest compliments to sing with her Akharin Khabar.

It was time for Googoosh to change wardrobe while Mehrdad started singing solo, Lover’s Wall and two more beautiful songs while the whole audience were applauding for him.

Googoosh was back with another lady like princess-look long light sky blue gown which had sparkles of silver sequins on the upper part. She started singing, my favorite, POl and then Ahouyeh Eshgh, Ay Madrom Mordam also acknowledging Shahyar Ghanbari and Mehrdad Asemani. She left the scene after expressing her love for everyone and the fact that she exists until her fans exist.

Mehrdad continued the concert by singing Handcraft (Kardasti). Then he said something so true. He said that we are all born with different religions without our choosing it but, we are all connected as one by being from Iran .

Googoosh was back then with another needless to say gorgeous dress in peridot green with silver sequins sparkles. She was looking so stylish and beautiful while singing Gol Bi Goldoon and Man Aamadeam and then one of her funniest memories being in Iran after revolution. (It’s in one of the video clips--will be published later).

Now it was time for intermission. Googoosh was joking with everyone that it was time to go to do the things that one needs to do once in a while during the day. All through the concert she was so amusing and so comfortable to interact with the audience; she was so in control of her performance.

During the intermission, Hosein Kazemi, the organizer of the concert came to the stage greeting everyone which was very professional. He did the same at the end of the concert.  

It was so very great to see Googoosh in such a cheerful good mood, so very happy and satisfied with how her life and career is going. She does deserve all that, the same way she has given us so much joy all through our lives, even those 21 years that she was not among us, she was always giving us pleasure and tranquility, constantly present in our minds and in our hearts with her music playing in the background of our everyday lives.  

Dearest Googoosh, I'm so very proud to see you having concerts in such world famous places as Madison Square Garden and Kodak Theater (let the whole world know how famous and dear you are to us and how much we love you), with thousands and thousands of fans from all over showing up to enjoy your presence and performance since that is just what you deserve. No matter how much we applaud for you, it's still not enough. It gives me great pleasure to see you so loveable as always and so successful in your career because, again, that is exactly what you deserve in response to ALL you did for us.  

It was time for Mehrdad to sing some of his beautiful songs wearing a long leather jacket that Googoosh, later on, joked around with him about it. All through the concert one was able to feel their true and sincere friendship towards each other. At this point, Mehrdad paid his highest respect for Pahlavi Royal Family and thanking them for the opportunity of meeting them in person and kissing Shahbanou’s hand. Dear Mehrdad sang another song before Googoosh came back to sing Our Generation as a duet.  She was wearing now a long white tux suit an a V-neck ruffled black blouse which later on she mentioned was from our Persian famous Bijan Pakzad whose success makes her feel so very proud. Her hair was worn up and gathered in the back. It was time for another beautiful mixture by Andy G. whom Googoosh jokingly mentioned doesn’t even know Persian and he is Armenian, but, he did such beautiful job. Hamsafar, Gharibe Ashna, Man O Toh, Kooh, Bemoon Ta Bemoonam was performed with such a high energy dance (yes, it reminded me of years ago) under the high applause of the whole crowd. She kept joking if we are getting tired of her? Never, never, never…… Makhloogh was followed with another beautiful artistic dance.

Mehrdad was back with his happy songs and the dancing of the audience to his songs. Once he mentioned that although New York City is beautiful, he would rather be giving the same concert in Isfahan instead.  

Thank you Mehrdad Asemani and also Shahyar Ghanbari for all you are doing for our beloved Googoosh. She needs all the support and help she can get against all her jealous and money hungry enemies, and also building a new life in a new country. You've been true friends to her, and therefore, to all of us.  

It was time for Googoosh to be back on the stage, joking around with Mehrdad and giving him many compliments. She was wearing her fifth outfit, a white suit jacket beautifully embroidered with black curve designs, black pants and a charcoal blouse with black sequin on upper part. She started singing Daryayee, Man O Ghonjeshkaye Khooneh (when my camera was off by accident, no video clip), and then, wow, a mixture of Nimeh Ghomshodeye Man, Nemiyad, Kaj Kolah Khan, very nice, my Googoosh is back. And then, OF COURSE, Sakineh Day Ghezi had to follow.

She  said lets sing Pishkesh now but, Oh No!, we are getting close to the end of the concert." Googoosh was mentioning that she just started and that she was not even tired to sing for us but they were reminding her from higher authorities that the time had almost arrived.  So she said:" Mehrdad, please come back to the stage to announce the orchestra and singing MY ID with the Shir O Khorshid  flag of Iran in hands, to say good night around midnight.  

I left Tehran/Iran at 17, never met Googoosh in person, thinking when I'm older and more independent; I will go to see her performances many times.  Leaving Iran  30 years ago and never going back made that dream buried among so many others, when I heard she stayed in Iran after the revolution. Then I never imagined my dream of seeing her would EVER come true, until six years ago that she made something almost impossible, miracle like, to happen with her come back. I was always expecting something spectacular in the year 2000, I never guessed it’s going to be this!!  So, I had to wait 24 years to see Googoosh. Now, at each concert, I think as if this will be the last I see, and so I cherish it with all my being.  

She sang for us........................................

THE MAIN POINT IS NOT WHAT SHE SANG, BUT, THE FACT THAT SHE DID "SING" FOR US.  

I was insisting so much to a friend of mine to go to this concert to see Googoosh for the first time until finally he gave in. At the end of the concert he said that honestly what an EXCELLENT concert and artist he witnessed and he had such a great time. I told him that if I say, I love Googoosh so very much, he should have been sure there is a good reason for all this affection.  

The train going home was so crowded and filled with Iranians. The passenger sitting next to me was wondering why? I answered him,

“OUR MADONNA (AND MUCH MORE) HAD A CONCERT IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TONIGHT!”  

Statue of Liberty step aside, here comes Googoosh;

Empire State Building turn off your colorful beaming lights for the night,

Googoosh is the one glowing in New York City tonight!