Säye Skye
Performance
Säye Skye is a transgender Iranian rap artist and LGBTQ rights activist at the forefront of a new hip-hop movement that has its basis in social consciousness. With astonishing originality, his experimental raps challenge deep-rooted stereotypes of misogyny, discrimination, and queerphobia. Since age 13, he has been crafting songs and poems that resonate deeply with people, using music as a platform for communicating truth. Säye Skye’s work is distinguished by both its mystery and infectious energy. Using the poetic language of Farsi, each song elicits an instant audience connection through its passion and pulse. From its unpredictable flow and hypnotic rhythms to its evocative lyrics, Säye Skye’s work invites listeners to question their current state of being.
Säye Skye is the first artist in Iran’s history to sing about the LGBTQ community, their existence and their protracted struggle for freedom. In 2009, he recorded and released his first single in Iran, Säye Yek Zane Irani (Shadow of an Iranian Woman). As a queer artist, he was consequently put at great risk for singing and advocating for LGBTQ rights through his music. In 2010, Säye Skye was forced to leave his home and seek asylum in Turkey, where he was granted refugee status, and moved thereafter to Toronto in March 2011. Säye Skye is currently collaborating with acclaimed German producers and singers on the release of his first EP.