Gola is the Iranian musician in exile fighting to empower women
“There is always a stage in your life when you say “enough is enough” and you make a change to reclaim your power,” explains Gola. “”The Line” is a metaphor that is deeply personal but at the same time I feel that everyone can relate to its meaning. The overriding message is about the power of women, unity and the strength inside each of us. So many women today don’t have the chance to have their voice heard and I feel that I have the responsibility as an artist to be a voice for them, while also staying true to myself.”
For Gola, choosing her ‘enough is enough’ moment was life altering – and was one that subsequently set her on her own path to freedom. “It was when I made the decision to finally break free and sing,” she says. “I was struggling within myself with the decision of whether to follow my heart to become a singer. Female singers just don’t exist in Iran and I knew that if I left to pursue music, there would be no going back.”
“That meant leaving everything, including my family. But I had had enough of being told no, that I wasn’t allowed to sing or be who I knew I could be just because I was a woman. That was the point where I said no. And I feel that way about any rules or oppression against women that tell them that they can’t be something.”
Growing up in Iran music was always a huge and integral part of Gola’s life, yet the strict laws against women meant that her passion had a limit. As a member of Iran’s first ever girl group, called Orchid, Gola got further than most but even then the group were only ever allowed to perform in heavily policed female only venues where attendees had to sit in silence on the floor and watch. Singing or dancing along could result in arrest. Even at these restricted concerts, though, young girls would tell Gola that she was an inspiration, a catalyst for her dreams to grow even bigger.
Leaving Iran and her family behind Gola moved her entire life to London to pursue her dreams and enrolled on a Music Psychology MA, working in her own music on the side. “The Line” marks her first ever release in English, with the track accompanied by a rousing video further cementing Gola’s cause. Directed by Hannah Marshall and styled by Hunger’s Kim Howells, the video is an ode to female agency.
“I wanted to create a video that can help women understand how powerful they are – the idea that they can have their eyes covered but still have a voice, or have their mouths covered but still see and still touch others and make a difference. This is a video about choice,” Gola says.
I feel like I have a mission that can not only grant me my freedom, but can hopefully grant freedom to other women around the world. We have to create the future that we want to inhabit.”
The Line is out now. Follow Gola on Instagram here
