Emigration and Exile (1977–2024)
In 1977, just a year before the Iranian Revolution, Houshmand Aghili emigrated to the United States, settling in Los Angeles. The reasons for his move were both personal and professional. Politically, Iran was heading toward upheaval, and many artists foresaw the uncertain future of cultural life under the revolutionary tide. For Aghili, whose music was tied to poetry, spirituality, and artistic freedom, exile became both a necessity and an opportunity.
Los Angeles soon became home to one of the largest Iranian diasporas in the world, and Aghili emerged as part of the first generation of exiled musicians who sought to preserve Persian music abroad. Unlike many of his contemporaries who embraced pop, Aghili remained faithful to classical and traditional performance. He performed at cultural gatherings, Iranian community events, and private concerts, ensuring that the traditions of Persian song would not be lost to displacement.
Living in exile shaped his career in new ways. He became not just a singer but a cultural ambassador, teaching younger generations about Persian music. In Los Angeles, he collaborated with other Iranian musicians, composers, and poets, contributing to albums and concerts that maintained continuity with Iran’s cultural heritage.
