Cultural Detente: Iranian Music Made in the US

“Monika Jalili and NoorSaaz burst upon the world music scene in 2005 with their eponymous CD mingling Persian folk standards with love songs from the thriving pop scene of pre-revolutionary Iran in the 1960s and 1970s.  The response to both the CD and live performances by the group has been tremendous, including over 350,000 hits on the webcast of NoorSaaz’s concert from Trinity Church in Manhattan in late 2005.” – Modern Mask, Journal of the Arts

An Axis Of Joy: Monika Jalili & Noorsaaz Band Triumph in Paris

“Three standing ovations and cheers of bravos…there
is something very special about NoorSaaz that I have
rarely encountered in the past 27 years I have lived
outside of Iran… “  — Payvand News

A Concert Heard Round the World: Monika Jalili and Noorsaaz Return

“In October 2005, Monika Jalili and NoorSaaz filed on to the stage at Trinity Church and straight into Trinity history. Their concert of music from pre-revolutionary Iran has been viewed via trinitywallstreet.org more than 300,000 times since last October, making it one of the most heavily trafficked features ever presented on Trinity’s website.” – Trinity News

Sound Roots Review

From Sound Roots Review

“Prior to the 1979 revolution, Iranians were not listening to Persian hip-hop, but rather traditional tunes and love songs. Preserving a slice of this pre-revolutionary history is Monika Jalili. Her self-released album NoorSaaz (a combination of the Farsi words for “light” and “creator” or “musical instrument”) includes 10 songs (totaling just over 40 minutes of music)…….incorporating her strong, crisp, almost operatic voice with violin, oud, guitar, and percussion. A fine Persian diversion.”