Her music is well-known both inside and outside Iran. For decades Iranian parents have put their children to sleep with her lullabies and her voice has been the soundtrack of dreams to thousands of Iranian children. Now Iran's folk-diva Pari Zangeneh shares the story of her remarkable life in a new biography titled “Beyond Darkness”.

Pari Zangeneh was born in the desert oasis city of Kashan. She started studying classical Iranian music when she was 14 years old and later joined Tehran Conservatory of Music. She was trained as an opera singer, and used operatic techniques to sing Iranian folk songs.

Pari Zangeneh lost her sight in an automobile accident in 1972. In her biography, Ms Zangeneh says the accident was the catalyst and the fire that fuelled her legendary international singing career.

“It wasn't easy going back to those early days of blindness and falling into the past,” she says adding that the most difficult part of the process was “reviewing long-ago experiences and reliving difficult memories.”

She says she wrote the book to let people know that living with a disability is not the end of hope, adding “I chose to do this because I wanted to help those who will experience the darkness in the future understand that they could lead fruitful and contented lives. I also wanted to help those who have preconceived ideas to understand that blindness is not synonymous with helplessness.”

In this multimedia report Pari Zangeneh talks about her life and music which she says helped carry her through the years of darkness.

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