WINNERS OF IRANIAN PHOTO CONTEST ANNOUNCED ON VOA
Nine winners of a special photography contest examining Iranian Women in Society were shown today on VOA's PNN Washington, D.C., March 12, 2009 - Nine winners of a special photography contest examining Iranian Women in Society were shown today on the Voice of America's (VOA) Persian News Network (PNN).
Nearly 400 people inside Iran submitted entries during the two-month-long contest which was judged by renowned photographer Reza Deghati. Winning pictures, including one of a ballerina and another of a cigarette butt with lipstick, were displayed during the Today's Woman show aired in Iran.
Winners in four categories - still photos, mixed photos, series and creative photos - requested that their full names not be used for fear of possible reprisals inside Iran. One winner, who identified himself as Hooman, said he was delighted that "as an amateur Reza Deghati liked and selected my work."
"The photographs help tell the story of Iranian women in today's society," said VOA Director Danforth Austin. "They are poignant and, in some cases, even touching portrayals of women in Iran. We are grateful to the participants for their enthusiastic response and willingness to share their talent with our audience."
The Iranian-born Deghati, now a French citizen, is a well-known international freelance photographer whose work appears in the National Geographic. The winner of many international awards, Deghati was presented in November 2005 with the "Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite," the French award for distinguished service in a public or private capacity.
Last Sunday, the winning photographs were part of a one-day exhibition at the University of Maryland's Howard Frank Auditorium.
Today's Woman is a daily discussion show featuring influential women from around the world as well as news and information on a full range of topics. VOA has the largest combined radio and television audience of all international broadcasters in Iran, with one in four adult Iranians tuning into a VOA show at least once a week. Programs are also streamed on www.VOAPNN.com.
The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S.Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 134 million people. Programs are produced in 45 languages.







REGGAE ARTIST FROM SIERRA LEONE PERFORMS AT VOA

Much of singer's music inspired by his homeland
Washington, D.C., March 6, 2009 - Reggae artist JR performed on the Voice of America's (VOA) African Beat music program, rapping and reminiscing about his youth in Sierra Leone and his evolving music career since coming to the United States as a teenager. JR, who appeared at VOA yesterday, said many of his songs are inspired by his native country, which he left two decades ago for the United States.A lifelong singer, he began writing music after witnessing from afar the devastation wrought by Sierra Leone's civil war, which left more than 50,000 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced between 1991 and 2002. In 2004, JR joined with the Sierra Leonean reggae band The Jungle Leaders to play his first composition, Rise Up Sa Lone, which urged the government to help the suffering people. His first solo album, Born Sierra Leonean, debuted in 2006 and has sold 5,000 copies.JR started playing reggae in high school in the United States. After graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served 13 years in active duty. After leaving military service, JR earned his college degree from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. While continuing to pursue his music career, today JR works at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland. VOA's African Beat, first broadcast in 2006, is a daily one-hour music program showcasing various styles of music popular throughout the African continent. Program host David Vandy, a Sierra Leonean native himself, uses music to reach a broad audience regardless of age, tribe, or culture.The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming