Banned in Iran, one singer found her voice in Canada

Parisa Karimi-Molan, a trained audiologist from Iran, shares her powerful journey of silenced expression and reclaimed voice in a candid conversation with Tom Power on CBC's Q. Growing up in Iran, where women were banned from singing publicly, Parisa found solace in underground concerts with other women, hiding her passion for fear of severe consequences. After eight years of waiting, she emigrated to Montreal in 2017, where she experienced the profound freedom of singing in public for the first time—on stage at a cultural center, her voice unshackled by fear. Her debut album, Unveiled, features traditional Iranian songs that celebrate unity, love, and peace, blending her heritage with Montreal musicians. Through her music, Parisa not only reclaims her identity but also becomes a voice for her family and community still living under repression in Iran, where internet access has been cut off for nearly two months. Her story is one of resilience, quiet courage, and the transformative power of music as both personal liberation and political resistance. The episode underscores the deep emotional and psychological toll of censorship, particularly when it targets self-expression. Parisa’s journey from internalized fear to public performance reveals how art can be both a personal sanctuary and a form of quiet rebellion. Her favorite track, 'Siza Salam Gatir Misham,' dedicated to her hometown of Tabriz, carries a message of global peace and hope. The conversation closes with a poignant reflection on the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran and the enduring human need to connect, even across silence. Tom Power’s empathetic hosting and Parisa’s raw honesty make this a deeply moving portrait of what it means to finally be heard.