Persians of Israel: Rita

Please note: the full version of this program can be found here:    • FULL EPISODE: Persians of Israel: Rita  

One of Israel’s most successful pop stars, Rita, discovered her love of singing as a child in her native Iran. But it was her family’s migration to the Jewish state that enabled her to build a career as a singer, while also posing challenges that she had to overcome as part of an Iranian immigrant family. Rita’s passion for her Persian heritage eventually led her to produce a Farsi-language album, All My Joys, in 2012. In this Persians of Israel episode, Rita tells VOA’s Michael Lipin how the album’s popularity with Iranians caught her by surprise and inspired her to reach out to the Iranian people. She also reveals how her interactions with Iranians have led her to set a new – and perhaps daring – career goal.