Jaleh Kazemi, painter, broadcaster and TV host, and one of the most famous dubbers in the history of Iranian TV and cinema, born on April 3, 1943, in Tehran, passed away on April 2, at the age of 61.
Jaleh Kazemi had a sweet-sounding and melodious voice, and this quality was the cause that she acted as dubber for leading actresses of Iranian and international movies. In all their films she was the voice of Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Ingrid Bergman. The most important actresses for whom she was dubber, and so became well-established in her job, were Jennifer Jones in “Bernadette’s songs” and Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music”.
Zahra Kazemi Azad, known as Jaleh Kazemi, entered the dubbing business through her brother, Houshang Kazemi. At the age of 18, she traveled to Rome, along with experienced dubbers, such as Manuchehr Zamani, Nosrat Karimi and Hossein Sarshar, and in this trip she gained some valuable experience in dubbing. In the 1960s, which was the golden age of dubbing in Iran, she stood out among others in this profession, and became the most famous female dubber, who, in addition to dubbing, also did some management work in this field She spoke on behalf of many movie stars, including Vivien Leigh in “A Streetcar named Desire” and Elizabeth Taylor in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” And “Cat on a Hot Roof,” Miafaro in “The Great Gatsby,” Julie Christie in “Doctor Zhivago,” Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music,” and Sophia Loren in all of her movies.
While working, she continued her university studies. She graduated in political science from Melli University and got her postgraduate degree in “Training and Upbringing” in southern California, with the help of a scholarship from Iranian National TV. Besides dubbing and broadcasting, she also worked as TV announcer. Her most popular program on TV was “You and TV”, which changed its name after the revolution to “You and Sima (TV)”. Later on, she also hosted programs like “Today’s Literature”, “Classic Literature”, and magazines such as “Picture of time” and “Art”. In the last years of her activity in TV she was producer and also executive manager of several TV programs.
After the revolution, Jaleh Kazemi did not have any job in the TV Organization’s main body. Sometimes, here and there, she did some dubbing. Some of works were meant for TV broadcasting. She was also a speaker in a few documentary movies. In some movies she was a dubber for Iranian actresses. She also dubbed several foreign films and series. Following the successful screening of the subtitle version of Alejandro Amenabar’s film Others in Tehran cinemas and the movie “Hours” in the Persian dub of these films. As her last dubbing job, she spoke with her pleasant voice, instead of Nicole Kidman and this became her most outstanding work. After the revolution, in the cinema industry, she was dubber for Afsaneh Nayegan and Katayun Riyahi.
In the years after the revolution, she resumed painting, and in those years, when she lived mainly in the United States, she held the first exhibition of her works in 1983. Since then, her works have appeared in several group and solo exhibitions in Iran and the United States. Critics and visitors well-received her first painting exhibition in Washington, and the Washington Post wrote in an article entitled “Replacement of Horses”: “The man who was a film announcer and TV presenter has now transferred the color, smell, and fragrance of his voice to the canvas.”
Jaleh Kazemi, a prominent dubbing artist, passed away on March 3a, 2004, at the age of 61 in Washington, DC, due to pancreatic cancer.
The 12th day of each 20-days month in the zoroastrian calendar, is named “Mah (moon). Mah (moon) is written as Mavankahe. In Aesta mavankahe is the 7th Yasht offered to Mah (moon). In mah niyayesh there is mention of Mah Yasht.
In Avesta “Mah” produces seeds, and animal and human breeds, and also cultivates plants. “Nabor” means abstinence from killing animals and/or eating their meat, on those 4 particular days. But fasting during the day is considered improper and therefore not encouraged. Instead, every month, on the four days named Bahman, Geush, Mah and ram, abstinence from killing/eating meat is to be followed. In Avesta, the care of livestock has been ordered.
