Iranian pop star Googoosh wows Dubai despite Tehran's outcry

Iranian pop diva and national icon Googoosh has captivated crowds of Iranians at the world's fair in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- It was music fit for the troubled times.

Her voice full of heartache and tender resolve, Iranian pop diva and national icon Googoosh delivered old hits and songs from her new album to a packed stadium on Thursday in Dubai — just across the Persian Gulf from her home that had banned her from singing for 21 years and where authorities to this day continue to protest her performances.

“When our lives pass away in dismal loneliness, where will we find these beautiful moments again?” she crooned in Farsi from the stage at Expo 2020, Dubai’s world’s fair. “Let my dreams not be forever unfulfilled.”

Dressed at first in a simple white dress and later changing into a shimmering black gown, she swayed her hips gently and said she hoped people would remember the night forever.