Marzieh, the legendary Diva of Persian traditional music Ashraf os-Sadat Mortezaie (March 22, 1924 – October 13, 2010), known professionally as Marzieh, was a Tehran-born singer of Persian traditional music. Known as the great diva of Persian traditional song, her voice represented the 60-year sufferings of a nation, and the strength of Iranian women against stoning and misogyny of the mullahs' ruling Iran. Her parents were fund of arts and her relatives included a number of sculptors, painters, miniaturists, and musicians. Her mother encouraged her to sing and supported her artistic activities throughout her life. Marzieh said, "At a time when Iranian families rarely let their daughters study, my father albeit a clergy encouraged me to go to school and learn the sciences of the time. When I started singing, it was not normal for a woman to become a singer. At the meantime, it was not enough to have a good voice. A singer had to go to school and learn the classica...