As a singer Roxana’s early music roots lie in listening to her Iranian grandfather, Baba jun, singing beautiful old Iranian folk songs, with their often heart wrenching melodies, as they drove the winding high mountain roads from Tehran to the Caspian Sea. Since leaving Iran her musical journeys have led her to Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, The Republic of Georgia, Bosnia Herzegovina… and across Europe where she has performed and recorded with many artists, weaving her unique vocal tapestry.

She is singer/ songwriter with the Edinburgh based band GOL. ( Iranian/UK , Nu-Jazz , World, Electronica).

GOL formed in September 2008 and were quickly discovered on MySpace by BBC Persian TV who invited them to the prestigious Bush Hall in London to perform for the music programme KOOK, known as the MTV of the MIddle East. Highlights of this summer include opening the main stage at Kelburn Garden Party Festival at Largs Castle, headlined the closing night of the Iran Festival at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, playing the wonderful Knockengorroch Festival and the Big Tent music Festival. This summer GOL were also commissioned (by the MELA and Scottish Arts Council) to create 45 minutes of original music and film, which they premiered at the Mela Festival 2009. BBC Persian TV has recently broadcast a half hour documentary about GOL.

“I saw and heard GOL for the first time at the 2009 Edinburgh Mela. Unlike some ‘fusion’ bands I’ve seen, including a very very famous one, they manage to blend world/jazz/ethnic so that you can’t hear the joins. You can see the band are enjoying playing and they play tracks dealing with serious subjects without preaching and without a hint of condescension. GOL sing and play as a band with no jostling for position. I was really impressed, will ‘tell all my friends’ and will be looking out for recordings.” Eric Grace on Ten Tracks.

“I felt the same when I saw them at Kelburn Garden Party back in June. ‘GOL’:sounds a bit like ’soul’ …but more like ’sol’, sun and soul… Keep up the good work! - Ed Stack, Ten Tracks

With funding from Scottish Arts Council Roxana has travelled to Iran to learn music from the Hormozgan region of Iran, in particular Bander Abbas. There she spent time with the band Jahleh ( see picture above on left) and on GOL’s new EP ” ROOTS” Roxana weaves lyrics from poems bythe Banderi poet Moussa Kamali.

She has also recently been working with Scottish composer Jim Sutherland, singing on the soundtrack for the film Trouble Sleeping. Recent collaborations also include recording and writing music with the london based producer and composer Farhad Amirahmadi.