Vigen Derderian, known professionally as Viguen, was born on November 23, 1929, in Hamadan, Iran. He began his career performing at Café Shemiran in Tehran in 1951. His unique style blended Western European and Latin American sounds with Persian lyrics. Viguen's breakthrough came with hits like "Lala'ee" ("Lullaby") and "Mahtab" ("Moonlight"). He released several albums, including Be Yade Tehran in 1982 and Rose in 1984, collaborating with prominent lyricists and composers. In 1971, Viguen moved to the United States but continued to perform in Iran until the Islamic Revolution of 1979, after which he was exiled. He celebrated his 50th career anniversary at the Hollywood Palladium in February 2001. Throughout his career, Viguen recorded over six hundred songs and starred in several films. Viguen died on October 26, 2003, from cancer.
