Afghanistan

Fellow traveler Andrew requested/suggested that I post the incredible Aziz Herawi as one of the musicians of Afghanistan. Delighted to include some of his music here. By way of synchronicity, Aziz has lived in northern California for some years now (originally Fremont,CA I believe, which is just north of San Jose). He now lives in the Sacramento area, as do I, & I have actually had the pleasure of seeing & hearing him play some years back.

Aziz Herawi was born in Herat, Afghanistan around 1952. He is a noted musician who specializes in the dutar & rebab, both plucked string instruments  (or as referenced below…Afghan lutes). Aziz was about seven years of age the first time he heard the dutar being played live. He talked one of the family servants into buying the instrument for him from a shepherd. He would wait until his father was asleep, then sneak into the woods surrounding their home. Alone, in the dark, he practiced, teaching himself to play the difficult long-necked 12-stringed instrument.

The rest, as they say, is musical history.

On Master of Afghan Lutes, the musicians are: Aziz Herawi – dutar & rebab; Omar Mojaddidi – zirbaghali; Azim Mojaddidi & Anayat Habib – daira zagi & Ghulam Abbas Khan – tabla.

Aziz Herawi – Master of Afghan Lutes, Arhoolie 387, 1992.

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Tracklist –

A: Naghmaha-ye Klask in Rag Beiru (instrumental featuring dutar)

jhaptal/dadra

kaharwa

kaharwa/dadra

charbeiti kaharwa

kaharwa/dadra II

B: (instrumental featuring dutar)

aushari

naghma I

mahali I

khandan-e amaturi I

khandan-e amaturi II

khandan-e amaturi III

C: (instrumental featuring rebab)

naghma-ye klasik in rag pari

naghma-ye klasik in rag pilu

mahali II

mahali III

naghma II

naghma III

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 first street concert in Kabul

Kabul Dreams is Afghanistan's first rock band. They formed in Kabul in 2008. The band is composed of: lead vocalist, guitarist, & songwriter Sulyman Qardash; bassist Sidduque Ahmed; & drummer Mujtaba Habibi. When they began playing around Kabul, they were the only active rock band in the country.

With their continued hard work & effort, succeeded in gaining national & international recognition within the span of just a few years. They performed in international festivals & events in South Asia, Central Asia, & Europe. They represented Afghanistan & developed a fan base in many countries.

Kabul Dreams have released one EP & few singles. The band worked hard on their first full length album, which was finally recorded in late 2012 in Kabul. Alan Sanderson, an internationally acclaimed record producer, sound engineer, & Grammy winning artist agreed to mixed & master their album in his studio in San Diego. The album, Plastic Words is available on the Sellaband (German) label.

I have made a compilation of their earlier EP & singles plus two tracks from their album.

 Kabul Dreams – Various Dreams, 2008 – 2013. 

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Tracklist –

Sound of Peace & Love – from Sound of Peace & Love EP 2009

This Night – from Sound of Peace & Love EP 2009

Sadae Man – from Sadae Man (Persian single) 2009

The Dream of All my Life – demo 2010

Don’t Try to Freeze my Mind – demo 2010

Can You Fly – from VA- Joydue's Indie Rock Playlist February 2010

Good Morning Freedom – from Good Morning Freedom single 2012

Crack in the Radio – from Plastic Words 2013

I Wanna Runaway – from Plastic Words 2013

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Hip-hop is apparently becoming very popular with the youth of Afghanistan. Some in Afghanistan may see this as a sign of progress, others may see it as more Western encroachment on Afghan culture.

Before weighing in on either side, it might be good to consider this. Between 1996 & 2001 the Taliban completely banned music & dance in Afghanistan. All musical instruments were banned as well. When they were discovered by agents of the Office for the Propagation of Virtue & the Prevention of Vice, they were destroyed, sometimes by being burnt in public along with confiscated audio & video cassettes, TV sets & VCRs (all visual representation of animate being was also prohibited). So many of the young found they could make hip-hop music using computers, samples, & audio programs.

It's difficult to even fathom a world in which music could only be enjoyed in secrecy. The fact that teenagers can now listen to rap in public, despite grumblings from some of their elders, is a step forward. Afghan hip-hop is very diverse & diasporic. They rap in Farsi, English, Pashto, German, & a slew of other languages. Some of it is heavily influences by traditional Afghani music & some of it is merely a mirroring of Western rap, with an over abundance of MF’ing & N-word slinging. I have tried to post some of the first rather than the latter. Although many Afghani rappers, like most international rappers, are heavily influenced by American hip-hop/rap & will still cite Tupac & other legends of rap as their inspiration, the themes found in their music are different. You won't find as many references to gang-bangin’, sex, bling, or drugs; instead you'll hear about religion, war (which is no surprise), & national pride. Still, it serves as an outlet for teenagers to express their opinions & express their rebellion against mainstream culture, much like pre-commercialized American hip-hop.

 Various – Afghani Hip-hop Mixtape No. Ø, 2013.

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Tracklist – 

Mewo Mewo 

Astom Preshaan  

Beshnaweed Ai Dostan  

Beya Saqi  

Maida Maida  

Namekonom Aroosi - Ghazali & Farid Temoury 

Chashmak Bezan Siata  

Gil-e Saang  

Judayee  

Taal (remix)  - DJ Wassi from his album Remixed

Bache Kabul (remix)  

Aashiqet Shodam  

Afghan Rap  

Sitara Man - DJ Besho 

Enjoy,

NØ