TEHRAN – Akbar Golpayegani, a prominent Iranian singer, passed away in Tehran due to complications related to old age on Saturday. He was 90. 

 Known as Golpa, he was born in Tehran in 1934. In 1948, at the age of 12, Golpa attended Farhang Elementary School and was selected as a Quran reciter in his class. In 1951, he began to train music and instruments under his father's guidance. In 1961, he was honored by the Ministry of Culture and Art for his skills in music and was employed as a professional singer. 

In 1956, Golpayegani participated in UNESCO's International Music Festivals, and was the first Iranian singer who performed abroad. 

He was known for his solo performances on the Radio Golha program, which was broadcasted on an Iranian National Radio station over a period from 1956 to 1979. 
The Radio Golha program is still referred to by scholars and musicians as an encyclopedia of Persian music and poetry.

Golpa sang the most songs in this program, and he was the only singer who participated in all of the program's series, singing 298 official songs and more than 700 other private and radio songs.

SAB/