Inspirational Bakhtiari Iranian vocalist Mehrana has made a dynamic mark on music after fleeing the oppression of the Iranian Revolutionary war and relocating to California as a youth. Early on, Mehrana understood that her voice was intertwined with her destiny. She began exercising her right to sing in mixed choir competitions where she ultimately made it to an exclusive coral ensemble entitled “Bell Cantos” in High School. Post-graduation, Mehrana strengthened her education by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University and HR certificate from the San Diego Employers Association.
Knowing that she would not be permitted to sing in her native birthplace Ahvaz, Mehrana pressed forward and made her voice known in the United States of America. Her passion and talent caught the eye of prominent music producer Shahbal Shabpareh and before long, Mehrana was thrust into the limelight as an integral part of the groundbreaking girl group “Silhouette.” As a member of the first female trio band in Iranian music history, Mehrana was able to inspire young girls throughout her travels and serve as a positive female role model.
After touring successfully throughout the United States of America singing songs from the Silhouette 1997 hit album “Aab Atash Khak (Water, Fire, Earth),” Mehrana became a part of a male/female duet band “Shebahe” produced again by the prolific Shabpareh. Shebahe’s fresh and uniquely creative 2001 album “Creation (Afarinesh)” toured successfully throughout the USA and served as an inspiration to touch additional lives. Mehrana’s next impactful “creation” became a delightful holiday Christmas single entitled “Happy Holidays” and with great introspection and care, her album to follow would be four years in the making.
In 2011, Mehrana released her musical labor of love entitled “Celebration.” The artfully crafted project fused industry masters and world renowned talents. Celebration was mixed by decorated recording engineer and platinum record award winner Michael Denton, whose clients include Tupac Shakur, MC Hammer, Bobby Brown, E40, and more. The album was mastered by prominent mastering engineer Bernie Grundman who personally mastered some of the industry's landmark recordings, such as: "Tapestry,” by Carol King, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, "The Chronic” by Dr. Dre, and "Purple Rain” by Prince. Live Celebration performance musicians alongside Mehrana included renown horn player Mic Gillette (The Rolling Stones, Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Jefferson Starship), current Santana percussionist Karl Perazzo (Dizzy Gilespie, Sheila E., Mariah Carey, John Lee Hooker), Saxophone star George Brooks (Etta James, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Kronos Quartet, Anthony Braxton), and Persian-born master multi-instrumentalist Mohammad Nejad. Finally, flavorful vocals from Bay Area rapper “Nump Trump” rounded the equation as songs from the Celebration album were performed internationally by Mehrana in the Far East.
Subsequently, in 2015 Mehrana penned a Farsi Alphabet song “AlefBa” and released a music video for the track that she performed as a duet with her daughter Tiana. Mehrana reunited briefly with Shebahe in 2017 and performed for fans in top venues such as the famed Dolby Theatre in Hollywood California. Ultimately impacted by the tense global climate, Mehrana sought to ease world suffering though her music. In 2018 she released “Namaste” complete with a music video directed by Alisa Daglio. “Namaste is a homage to peace and unity, states the singer. “Regardless of race, sex, or nationality, we are all one.” Currently, Mehrana is focused on writing songs for her new album and using her voice to promote positive messages and changes in the world. Stay tuned!
