Our friends at KKV Crossing Borders broke the news on Facebook. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania mayor William Peduto proclaimed September 6, 2019 as "Mahsa Vahdat Day" and presented the singer with a proclamation letter at Alphabet City ahead of her Freedom to Create Concert & Conversation with Sholeh Wolpé.
Whereas Mahsa Vahdat is a prominent performer of Persian vocal music and a strong advocate of freedom of expression in music…
and whereas Mahsa Vahdat sang on the album "Lullabies from the Axis of Evil" despite threats of boycott by the music industry and media and the subsequent blacklisting of the distributor in the United States; her response to these actions was to record an album with American soul and blues singer Mighty Sam McClain….
and whereas she received the Freemuse Award in 2010 for her courage and bold resistance and continues searching for searching for ways to make her music relevant to the present world…
and whereas Mahsa Vahdat incorporates literature of the past and present into her music with a generous, universal spirit…
through great artistry and courage her recordings have won awards and critical acclaim throughout the world.Now therefor be it resolved that I, William Peduto, Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, do hereby declare September 6, 2019 "Mahsa Vahdat Day" here in our most livable City of Pittsburgh.