Fast Facts
- What
- SEDA (صدا — Persian for "voice") is a nonpartisan cultural series for Iranian women's voices: live music, stand-up comedy, and dance.
- Where
- Inglewood, Los Angeles.
- Presented by
- KUKU, a Persian fast-casual kitchen and cultural platform in Inglewood.
- First night
- Summer 2026 — date, lineup, and tickets announced to the waitlist at seda.events.
- Origin
- Held in answer to the reported June 2026 sentencing of Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi.
Boilerplate
SEDA is a nonpartisan cultural series in Inglewood for Iranian women's voices — music, comedy, and dance — born in answer to the sentencing of singer Parastoo Ahmadi.
SEDA (صدا, Persian for "voice") is a nonpartisan cultural series in Inglewood, Los Angeles, dedicated to Iranian women's voices in arts and culture. Each night brings live music, stand-up comedy, and a Persian DJ to one stage — honoring the artists who carried these voices across decades and exile, and platforming the young voices rising now. The series was founded in answer to the reported June 2026 sentencing of singer Parastoo Ahmadi, and is presented by KUKU, the Persian kitchen and cultural platform in Inglewood.
The Origin
In December 2024, singer Parastoo Ahmadi performed the "Caravanserai Concert" at the Dayr-e Gachin caravanserai and livestreamed it on YouTube — without the compulsory hijab, her voice carrying solo across an empty hall. The video went viral. In June 2026, a criminal court in Qom province reportedly sentenced Ahmadi and eight collaborators each to 74 lashes, a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban on artistic activity, on charges of producing "vulgar and immoral content."
For accuracy: the ruling has been reported by human rights organizations, lawyers familiar with the case, and the artists' own channels; Iran's judiciary has not officially published it. Ahmadi has been sentenced — the punishment is not known to have been carried out, and the case is reportedly subject to appeal. SEDA takes no position on behalf of any party, government, or military, and its solidarity with the sentenced artists should not be reported as one.
The Format
Every SEDA night runs in three acts, each reclaiming something policed:
- Sing — live music. Iranian women singers, across generations. A woman's solo voice in public was censored in Iran for decades.
- Laugh — stand-up. Iranian women comics, holding the mic and the room. What a woman may say on a stage has been policed just as long.
- Dance — a Persian DJ takes it late. Dancing in the open has gotten Iranians arrested.
Lineups change night to night and are announced via the waitlist.
Positioning
SEDA is nonpartisan, not neutral. It is not affiliated with — and does not campaign for — any political party, monarchy, foreign government, or military action. It is not neutral about censorship or women's voices. The stage belongs to the artists.
Door policy at every event: no party campaigning, no leader portraits, no state or war messaging, no filming of artists without consent.
Visual Identity
Type: Spectral (serif), Archivo (sans), Gulzar (Nastaliq — the صدا mark). Logos, photography, and high-resolution assets available on request.
Press Contact
Artin Perse — SEDA / KUKU
team@kukucafe.com · +1 (213) 956-2164
Interview requests, press passes, and photography must be arranged in advance. Artists' consent is required for all filming.