top of page
Shiraz Nicpon
Writer
Writing Fellow
More actions
Profile
Join date: Dec 30, 2025
About
Shiraz Nicpon is an Iranian American born and raised in California. She studied at San Diego State University and graduated with a bachelor's in Journalism. While in college, Shiraz wrote for San Diego State University’s chapter of The Women’s Network and created a magazine issue through the journalism program.
Overview
Beat
Music, Food, Culture & Events
Personal Website
https://storiesfromshiraz.wordpress.com/
Pronouns
she/her
Contact
shiraznicpon@gmail.com
Posts (3)
Jun 29, 2026 ∙ 7 min
For Orange County Artist Big Sur, Music Is Activism, Healing and Home
Melody Tajalli, aka Big Sur, uses music to reflect her journey as a queer, first-generation Iranian-Afghan American artist. Big Sur in her home studio. Photo by Shiraz Nicpon, Culture OC The air in Melody Tajalli’s living room is warm and earthy, filled with the strong scent of esfand burning and freshly brewed coffee. Between sips of her coffee, Tajalli (she/they) explains how music has always been a form of expression and a tool to navigate the world. Tajalli, whose artist name is Big Sur,...
166
0
1
Jun 19, 2026 ∙ 3 min
MENA Cultural Festival and Concert Event Set to Light Up the OC Fairgrounds
The three-day celebration runs June 19–21, featuring international headliners, 200-plus vendors and World Cup watch parties. Singers Dystinct, left, and Mohammed Assaf are among the musical acts performing at the 2026 OC MENA Festival. Photos courtesy of OC MENA Festival Orange County is home to a vibrant Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) diaspora of more than 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This weekend, that community is stepping into the spotlight with a massive...
714
0
Mar 13, 2026 ∙ 7 min
‘The Grief was Growing Heavier’: Why OC’s Iranian Community is Pausing Its Nowruz Celebrations
Protests, state brutality and war have put ancient, annual springtime celebrations on hold. The traditional haftseen spread typically seen during Nowruz. The haftseen is a spread of seven items that start with the letter “sin” in Farsi, which represents renewal and spring. Photo by Shiraz Nipcon, Culture OC Two major Iranian American organizations based in Orange County have canceled their Nowruz new year’s events due to the ongoing war and protests in Iran. The International Society for...
576
0
5
bottom of page