The Iranian Heritage Foundation hosted a vibrant concert featuring renowned Iranian-Azerbaijani singer Mansour, who put on a dazzling performance at the Illinois Conference Center on Saturday.
Mansour is not the first big performer brought out by the Iranian Heritage Foundation (IHF) for one of their lively concerts. In previous years, they have featured other widely regarded artists from Iranian culture like Andranik “Andy” Madadian and Persian singer Leila Forouhar.
“He’s one of the very famous performers for all the Persian-speaking communities, not just Iranians, but for Tajik people, for Afghan people, for Uzbek people, so we are so delighted to have him here,” said Mehrdad Mohammadi, event supervisor and Iranian Heritage Foundation executive board member.
From the moment Mansour stepped onstage, the crowd went wild. The audience was enthusiastic throughout the concert, dancing near the stage to his upbeat and animated music.
Mansour engaged with his fans, even taking pictures with them and singing the songs they requested. At one point, a newlywed couple of Persian origin who had their wedding reception at the Conference Center joined in the fun and was serenaded by Mansour. Some of the hits played were “Bari Bakh” and “Faghat Bekhatere Tou,” which he sang in Persian.
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“I learned about this concert from the Iranian community and different announcements on social media,” said audience member Sam Andrew. “I also heard about the (Iranian community in Champaign) from my friend who’s Iranian and from different friends in social media.”
The concert garnered attention from the Persian-speaking community across the Midwest, as it was Mansour’s first performance in the region after seven years. This, Mohammadi explained, highlights the importance of holding these events to not only promote Iranian culture but invites others to join in the celebration.
“We have people coming from Purdue University and Indiana University, from University of Chicago and DePaul,” Mohammadi said. “Even from other states like Missouri and Kentucky.”
The Iranian community has a historic presence at the University of Illinois, with the Iranian Student Association being established back in 1961. Since then, the community has flourished with the help of the Iranian Heritage Foundation, founded in 2020.
“It’s great to have the Iranian community here,” said Houtan Jebelli, professor of civil engineering at Grainger and IHF advisor. “This is one of the very unique events not only in Champaign but in the United States, (they) have brought one of the most famous singers from our culture.”
The energetic concert is just one of the more recent examples of how the IHF is keeping the spirit of Iranian culture alive in the community while welcoming people of all backgrounds to experience its richness.
“I think there’s really a great impact, not just for Iranians but the whole community who is interested in art, who can really benefit from this,” Jebelli said.
