Delkash

Esmat Bagherpour Baboli, celebrated by the stage name Delkash ('Attractive to the Heart'), was born in Babol near the Caspian Sea. Moving to Tehran, she studied vocal radif under maestro Abdolali Vaziri and composer Ruhollah Khaleqi, debuting on Radio Iran in 1945.

Delkash possessed a voice of rare resonance, depth, and emotional warmth that spanned both rigorous classical dastgahs and vibrant Mazandarani folk songs. Collaborating with composer Mehdi Khaledi and poet Rahi Mo'ayyeri, she recorded immortal classics like 'Yad-e Man Kon' and starred in early Iranian cinematic musicals such as Sharmesar (1950), reigning as the undisputed queen of Iranian popular song.