In America, when you get pulled over by the police at 2 in the morning, they usually ask you if you have had anything to drink. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, a more pertinent question may be whether or not you have any guitars.

While it may seem strange to someone born in America, for Sharareh Afshar,19, this was just a normal part of everyday life. Afshar was born and raised in Iran until she was 16 when she moved to the U.S. with her mom and sister.

In Iran, Western music and instruments are illegal contraband, and, worse than that, the female voice is also an illegal instrument because it is believed to be seductive.

Illegal or not, Afshar has been singing since she was 5 years old and performing since she was 7; even though she didn’t know any English, she would mimic the sounds and make up the words.

When she was around 13, her mom asked her, “Why don’t you learn how to play a guitar.” Seems simple enough, right? The instructor they found charged $30 per hour and interviewed her for two hours, and he would only agree to teach her if she kept a 4.0 grade average.

Although her instructor taught guitar, he immediately recognized her natural talent for singing and encouraged her to sing at the private recitals he held for his students. In Iran, she had to be extremely careful when performing by making sure that no one was videotaping or taking pictures, which could be used as evidence against her. Now in the U.S., she is free to perform for anyone and sing anything she wants.

“Some people get shy about performing, but I never have; I am more comfortable on stage than I am when I’m not,” Afshar said. Through her instructor, she was exposed to and taught how to play classic rock songs that have become a staple of her live performances.

One of her favorite artists is Eric Burdon from the Animals, whom she fell in love with right before coming to the U.S.

“When I say I fell in love with him, I mean when I heard his songs I would go nuts and jump up and down on my bed and punch my pillow,” Afshar said.

The day she arrived in the U.S., she had a friend pick her up and take her to an Animals concert where she got the chance to meet Burdon in person. Afshar has the same enthusiasm and determination about becoming a successful singer and songwriter that she did for Burdon and his music.

“I am going to put everything into it so that if it doesn’t work out I won’t have any regrets,” she said. Afshar plans to start “gigging” regularly around the South Bay but does not currently have any shows lined up.

A few of the places she plans to play are It’s a Grind Coffee House, located in South Redondo Beach and Tony’s Fish Market at the Redondo Beach Pier. She also plans to tour colleges across the country in the spring.

Afshar says she sees herself breaking into the music business within the next two years, and that her true idea of success is having all of the world listening to her music and sharing her feelings with her.