All performers gather on stage during the closing moments of Let Her Sing 2025
Let Her Sing Screenings
Milestone performances in San Francisco and San Diego feature six female vocalists, a global band, and a cinematic showcase.
Also worth a look: Track Review: Doechii “Denial Is a River” Is a Lyrical Tour de Force and Track Review: Rosalia “Abismo” Merges Flamenco and Industrial Electronics.
Let Her Sing is not about speaking for women. It is about making space for women to speak—and sing—for themselves. Our responsibility is to keep that space open.”— Nazy Kaviani, Executive Director & FounderSAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Diaspora Arts Connection is gearing up to honor the tenth anniversary of Let Her Sing®: A Celebration of Female Voices, featuring celebratory concerts in both San Francisco and San Diego alongside a curated film series centered on women, music, censorship, and the essential right to be heard.
This milestone year lands at a particularly critical juncture. In late September, an appellate court in Iran affirmed the punishment for singer Parastoo Ahmadi, rejecting her appeal concerning a December 2024 online concert where she performed alone without the compulsory hijab. Ahmadi received a sentence of 74 lashes, a two-year prohibition on travel, and a two-year ban from artistic and audiovisual work.
This decision serves as a powerful reminder that the core concerns of Let Her Sing® remain deeply relevant.
“Ten years ago, Let Her Sing was created from a very simple belief: a woman should have the right to sing,” said Nazy Kaviani, Founder and Executive Director of Diaspora Arts Connection. “A decade later, we are preparing to fill stages with women’s voices while a singer in Iran faces lashes for using hers and hundreds of female vocalists are not allowed to sing in Afghanistan. That contrast is painful, but it also reminds us exactly why this work continues to matter.”
The anniversary concert kicks off in San Francisco on Saturday, October 17 at 7:00 PM at the Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. A week later, Let Her Sing® makes its San Diego debut on Saturday, October 24 at 7:00 PM at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, partnering with the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego.
The 2026 featured vocalists are Mina Deris, Mehrnam Rastegari, Marjan Farsad, Gelareh Sheibani, Eilbret Dooman, and Roxana Sarrafi.
Their repertoire spans Persian classical and folk traditions, Arab-Iranian and Assyrian musical heritage, contemporary songwriting, and diasporic artistic expression. The lineup’s variety underscores a key principle of Let Her Sing®: there is no single “female voice.” Women embody diverse languages, histories, traditions, and experiences, and each deserves the freedom to be heard on her own terms.
That message resonates especially strongly this year. At the very moment these six women prepare to perform freely in California, another female artist in Iran has had a punishment of 74 lashes confirmed for an act of musical expression.
Golrokh Aminian, an Iranian-Canadian soprano, singer-songwriter, past Let Her Sing® performer, and longtime member of the program’s artistic circle, will serve as host for the concerts.
The production is helmed by Yahya Alkhansa, Music Director and drummer, with Navid Ghaem Maghami as Artistic Director and Shayan Ravandoust as Director of Operations.
The Let Her Sing® House Band comprises Safa Shokrai on upright bass, Yahya Alkhansa on drums, Mohammad Shabani on percussion, Sara Saberi on oud, Nima Hafezieh on piano, Mohamad Talani on guitar, and Shervin Najafian on guitar.
Prior to the live performances, the anniversary festivities commence in San Francisco on Sunday, October 11 at YBCA with a film program delving into women’s voices, censorship, self-determination, and artistic liberty.
Hosted by Diaspora Arts Connection and Farcinema, the lineup includes No Land’s Song, directed by Ayat Najafi; A Sister’s Tale, directed by Leila Amini; and Sonita, directed by Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami.
No Land’s Song chronicles Iranian composer Sara Najafi’s efforts to stage a public concert in Tehran with women singing solo. A Sister’s Tale follows Nasreen as she seeks to reclaim her aspiration of becoming a singer while managing family obligations and limits on women performing publicly in Iran. Sonita portrays a young Afghan refugee in Tehran who aspires to be a rapper while confronting forced marriage and restrictions on artistic pursuits.
A special Q&A and panel discussion with Yara Daneshvar and Gelareh Sheibani will follow the screening of Sonita, linking the film to real-world experiences of censorship, resilience, and women’s right to sing.
The film program is organized in collaboration with Farcinema, the Bay Area independent film-curation initiative led by Hanieh Khaleghian and Mohsen Hejrati.
For a decade, Let Her Sing® has placed women vocalists from across the globe on professional stages, celebrating artistic freedom, cultural heritage, resilience, and the transformative power of song. The initiative was born from a reality that endures today: in certain regions, women still encounter censorship, legal barriers, societal pressure, and punishment merely for singing in public.
The Parastoo Ahmadi case lends the 10th anniversary a sobering urgency. Her December 2024 performance had no live audience and was streamed online. Regardless, she faced prosecution, and an Iranian appeals court has now upheld the conviction and sentence.
“Let Her Sing is not about speaking for women,” Kaviani said. “It is about making space for women to speak—and sing—for themselves. Our responsibility is to keep that space open, to listen, and to make sure these voices are not pushed to the margins.”
As Let Her Sing® moves into its second decade, Diaspora Arts Connection views the program as both a tribute to exceptional musicianship and a statement of a fundamental truth: the freedom to create, perform, and be heard belongs to everyone.
LET HER SING® 2026 — SAN FRANCISCO
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA
Information and tickets: diasporaartsconnection.org/events/lethersing2026
LET HER SING® 2026 — SAN DIEGO
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 7:00 PM
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
Presented in collaboration with the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego
Information and tickets: diasporaartsconnection.org/events/lethersing2026sd
LET HER SING® FILM SCREENINGS — SAN FRANCISCO
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
Featuring No Land’s Song, A Sister’s Tale, and Sonita
Information and tickets: diasporaartsconnection.org/events/lethersing2026-screenings
ABOUT DIASPORA ARTS CONNECTION
Diaspora Arts Connection is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting artists from diasporic, immigrant, and underrepresented communities. Through music, film, storytelling, visual arts, and multidisciplinary programming, DAC creates platforms for artistic freedom, cultural exchange, and meaningful connections between artists and audiences.
Shayan Ravandoust
Diaspora Arts Connection
+1 925-318-2017
email us here
Excerpts from Let Her Sing 2025
