Azar Azima, Pioneering Voice of Iran’s Golha Radio Programmes, Dies in Isfahan#AzarAzima, a veteran Iranian singer and one of the earliest voices of the legendary Golha radio programmes, has died in Isfahan. She was 99.Born Azarmidokht Azima Sarajpour in Isfahan in 1927, Azima began her collaboration with Radio Iran in the mid-1950s. Her first recorded work was composed by Abolhasan Saba, with lyrics by Abolhasan Varzi.Azima was among the first singers associated with Golha, the landmark radio series that helped preserve and popularize Persian classical music and poetry. She performed in the first Yek Shakheh Gol programme, accompanied by Saba on violin and Faramarz Payvar on santur.Among her best-known works is “Rah-e Shiraz”, performed with the Farabi Orchestra under the direction of her husband, composer and conductor Morteza Hannaneh.Remembered by many as Isfahan’s first female classical vocalist, Azima leaves behind a legacy tied to one of the most formative eras of Iranian radio and music history.@Honargardi