The Wall Street Journal recently published an article entitled An Upbeat Afghan Story by Lara Pellegrinelli, a NPR (National Public Radio) Freelance Contributor and Harvard University PhD graduate in Ethnomusicology.
Pellegrinelli focuses on the newly established Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) headed by Ahmad Sarmast and the impact of music in Afghan society.
The piece is a feel good story that sheds light on the music of Afghanistan that continues to thrive, despite being oppressed by Islamists.
Pellegrinelli quotes Ahmad Sarmast and two top Western experts on Afghan music, Lorraine Sakata, professor emeritus of ethnomusicology at UCLA and John Baily, professor emeritus of ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Yet the her story misses and misrepresents a number of key facts.
Here are four that prominently standout:
1. Ahmad Sarmast’s late father, Salim Sarmast, was a renowned composer, orchestra conductor and teacher at the Musical High School of Kabul, which had a long history in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan National Institute of Music isn’t the first music school in Afghanistan. Ahmad Sarmast is courageously taking musical education to a higher level.
2. True, the Afghan refugee camps inside Pakistan were run by mullahs. But the story fails to mention that these camps were also under the watchful eyes of the CIA/ISI backed Islamists, mujaheddin or “Freedom Fighters” as labeled by Ronald Reagan, who funded and used them to give the USSR their Vietnam in Afghanistan. These fundamentalists were the first to ban music. The Taliban simply followed their practice and razed to the ground what was left, including the failed attempt to destroy the entire musical archives of Radio TV Afghanistan and Afghan Films.
3. Labeling Ahmad Zahir as the “Afghan Elvis” misrepresents his music, message and talent. In the Western comparative, he was a combination of John Lennon, Johnny Cash and Dean Martin. Zahir was a politically motivated artist. The majority of his songs were autobiographical. Sadly, Pellegrinelli isn’t the first to label Zahir the “Afghan Elvis”.
4. Finally, Pellegrinelli writes “today’s Kabul looks like a city from the Stone Age”. I’m not sure if Pellegrinelli has recently visited Kabul. If not, she should have viewed this BBC photo essay “Kabul rises again”. One photo shows a music shop selling the latest electric guitars.
Perhaps Pellegrinelli had a restricted word count or a conservative Wall Street Journal editor that didn’t allow her to address everything.
Unfortunately, a number of Western publications continue to spread misinformed history and analysis on Afghanistan. To all writers and editors out there, please do your homework before you write about a country’s history and culture. It helps us all.
TV Afghanistan interview with Hussein Arman, Afghan guitarist and instructor at Music School of Kabul from the 1980s.
(note: from 8:06 – 9:24, footage of the music school and its students are shown).
Sulyman Qardash (vocals/guitars), Siddique Ahmed (bass) and Mujtaba Habibi (drums) at the ruins of Darlaman Palace in Kabul
KABUL — Perhaps nothing best describes youth angst like a song entitled “I Wanna’ Run Away,” one of several original numbers performed by Kabul Dreams in a live concert held last week at the American University of Afghanistan. With no other lyrics except the title refrain, lead singer and guitarist Sulyman Qardash alternately sang and screamed into the mic a sentence that probably resonates even more so with Afghanistan’s youth.
Some people will tell you that Afghans don’t live in a context where they can act like “teenagers” and rebel against their families and society (‘Do they even want to?,’ some have wondered), but of course they certainly feel the same emotions. Who better to express it than a rock band? Standing there and watching the crowd of enthusiastic AUA students it struck me that the song was also apropos of so much more. When Qardash sings about running away you’re reminded that scores of young Afghans do run away to Europe or elsewhere every day in search of education or decent jobs.
A crowd of about 200 people cheered on Afghanistan’s newest rock band, which was established a year ago. Qardash’s mic was low and there was too much feedback from the amplifiers at times, but that didn’t ruin their performance or diminish their individual talents. Drummer Mujtaba Habibi showed off his skills in a couple sets with solo routines and bassist Siddique Ahmed, who’s sometimes called Sid, definitely held his own too. As for Qardash, the front man appeared to be having fun while impressing with his guitar riffs and vocals.
All three band members were born in Afghanistan, but lived in neighboring countries for several years. Habibi was in Iran, while Ahmed lived in Pakistan. Qardash grew up in Uzbekistan and was a relative late comer returning to Afghanistan in 2008. All three came from musical backgrounds, with Habibi for example playing in a band that was into pop rock and pop latin music. “When I came to Kabul, I was looking for people who were into music and I was introduced to Mujtaba through a friend,” Ahmed said in an interview with AfghanMagazine.
“We got together and started working in a small studio where we practiced on our own, and recorded and produced songs for some new artists.
“Sulyman was introduced to us through another friend by chance, and when we got to know each other, we thought, why not start a band, so the triangle was completed and Kabul Dreams was [born].” While the band’s logo is similar to the Dead Kennedys’, their sound is indie rock, inspired by British bands. Like “I Wanna Run Away,” the band’s other songs, with topics like love and failed romance, have bittersweet overtones.
“This next song is called Julie,” Ahmed said. “I think everyone has had a Julie in their lives.” The crowd roared their agreement.
It being Afghanistan, the girls sat demurely on the sidelines while a large group of young men stood center stage waving their hands, jumping and dancing.
“I’m part of the first mosh pit in Afghanistan,” one concert-goer was heard saying.
The university’s faculty acted as cheerleaders and chaperones, some dancing to the music and reminding you of how you used to giggle uncomfortably when your teachers tried to look cool at your high school dances, which is what the whole event felt like even though the crowd was a bit older. The band performed several covers, including an endearing rendition of “Wonderwall” by Oasis and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan with Ahmed encouraging everyone to sing along to the latter. No one really did of course because Bollywood, not rock’n’roll, is on most people’s playlists still.
A few people around me, namely other Afghan-Americans, wondered how soon these guys would receive death threats from the Taliban. Whatever else, everything in Afghanistan is intensely political. It’s never easy to forget where you are, like a nice gym paid for by U.S. taxpayers at an institution that’s intended to educate an elite set. Beyond the post-9/11 black and white world view (the Taliban vs. rock’n’roll) I wondered if people regarded a band’s artistic dreams and ability to express itself as solemnly as let’s say poverty.
It’s too soon to claim that Kabul Dreams echoes the voice of a generation, but one thing that was clear that night is the energy of Afghanistan’s young people (68% the population is under the age of 25).
Maybe another Dylan classic would have said it better: Times they are a-changin’.
Farhad Azad contributed to this review.
Photos from the concert at The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF)
The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) (photo by H. David Shaw)
The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), (photo by H. David Shaw)
Sulyman Qardash, (photo by Travis Beard/Argus)
Siddique Ahmed, (photo by Travis Beard/Argus)
Mujtaba Habibi, (photo by Travis Beard/Argus)
We asked Kabul Dreams a few questions. The responses came from band bassist Sid Ahmed.
AfghanMagazine: So Sid, is there a Nancy?
Sid: There’s always Nancys, Julies, Jessicas and so on! However, this is Afghanistan so basically you know what I’m saying!
AfghanMagazine: We are Old School. What do you think of Stars, the Ahmad Zahir rock band? Do you consider them an influence?
Sid: Stars were probably one of the best bands we ever had in Afghanistan. Although they were influenced by the classic rock bands of the time, the music they played was not rock, it was a kind of fusion played with drums and guitars at which they were pretty good. Our influences are mostly British Indie rock bands, mostly new ones.
AfghanMagazine: Your peers download Bollywood ringtones at an alarming rate. Do you think English rock will find a place amid these types of traditional preferences?
Sid: Even Bollywood is now influenced by rock! It’s just the matter of time, very soon the most popular ring tone will be “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”!
AfghanMagazine: Who’s your favorite rock’n'roll personality, and why?
Sid: We all have our favorites. Mine is Paul McCartney because he’s one of the best songwriters of all time.
AfghanMagazine: Do you guys play Guitar Hero?
Sid: We play guitars, so there’s hardly time for any guitar hero!
AfghanMagazine: What about your female fans? They seemed a bit restrained at your AUA show. Do you think the type of songs you write resonate with them?
Sid: They like our songs, that is what all matters to us. Girls are restrained not only at AUA show but all over Afghanistan for many reasons. Our songs are mostly about love, relationships, friendship, peace, etc.. so I think they do resonate with them.
AfghanMagazine: Do you foresee any competition from an Afghan all girl rock band in the near future?
Sid: We definitely foresee a competition from an Afghan rock band, but an all girl rock band would definitely be hard to compete with!
AfghanMagazine: What was your reaction to the overwhelming support from the audience at the South Asia Bands Festival in India?
Sid: It was an exciting experience! The fact that they appreciated our music and were thrilled by it was a sign that what we started was something that we could be proud of. And what matters most to us is that we tried so hard to get there, on our own, without any support, facing difficulties on some basic things like lack of electricity, a place to practice … And now all our efforts were yielding the fruit!
AfghanMagazine: What I love about Afghanistan is ….
Sid: The fact that in spite of the problems and issues it has, you can’t be away from it for too long!
AfghanMagazine: What I don’t like about Afghanistan is …
Sid: The suicide attacks!
AfghanMagazine: Where do you see your band in 10 years from now?
Sid: At the Grammy award show, or probably a celebration after we have won [an award]!
AfghanMagazine: Where do you see the country in 10 years from now?
Sid: The country will probably have figured out a better security system by then. Wearing a life vest and traveling with armored vehicles might be part of the visa requirements!
AfghanMagazine: I used to play a short-scale bass. Think we can jam sometime? Just kidding. I haven’t played in 12 years. Rock on, Kabul Dreams.
Sid: We can play guitar hero together sometimes and don’t worry, I suck at it!
AfghanMagazine: Any last words to our readers?
Sid: Stay tuned for our first album coming up soon! And one more thing: RoCk oN!!!
Kabul Dreams performing “The Dream of all My Life” at Ariana Television in Kabul.Single: Can you Fly
“Can you Fly”
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August 19th marked the 90th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence.
In the 90 years since Amanullah Shah led and won Afghanistan’s right for self-determination from the British, Afghanistan’s history has taken some good and ill turns.
The Afghanistan of today was not in Amanullah Shah’s remotest vision. And we could wonder what he would have thought about the recent presidential elections—the winner yet to be determined.
To commemorate this anniversary, it is befitting to see Farhad Darya’s new music video recorded on the ruins of Amanullah Shah’s palace—bombed, burned and looted by the same people that run the current government of Afghanistan. Darya sings the late Qahar Asi’s poem “My Beloved Land”.
Here is the poem’s translation by Dr. Sherief Fayez, the Founding President of the American University of Afghanistan, we published back in October 1999:
My Beloved Land
My beloved land
My dream, my conviction
My honored blasphemy and religion
My seventh heaven
What a valiant people!
What sun! What fire!
Rising like the Resurrection,
No obstacle to their will
Not mountain nor hill.
Across the land
Passionately they scream:
Martyrdom and determination!
No house without a Rustem
That great warrior
No fortress without an Arash,
That great archer
What a brave nation!
What a proud people!
Let the dust of their footpath
Be an honor on my temple!
The British ethnomusicologist John Baily conducted fieldwork on the music of Afghanistan, focusing mostly in Herat, between 1973 -1978. In 1985, he produced the documentary film “Amir: An Afghan Refugee Musician’s Life in Peshawar, Pakistan”. In Peshawar Baily reconnects with Amir Mohammad, a musician from Herat and the film’s main character. The film is an insightful look in the lives of musicians who fled the war in Afghanistan in the mid 1980s.
Here is a short clip introducing the main character:
By the early 1990s, the fundamentalist “mujaheddin” government took over Afghanistan, which viewed music as unacceptable, leading to a wave of persecuted musicians becoming refugees. Finally when the Taliban stormed into power, all musical forms were banned.
It is unfortunate to see the naive outlook by Afghans– at that time, or even today– about the true roots of the USSR-Afghan war where Afghanistan was used as a pawn in the US game to trap and deliver the USSR its Vietnam in Afghanistan.
You can purchase or rent the documentary from Amazon.
From the early 1950 to the late 1960s, Jalil Zaland was one of the most popular radio stars in Afghanistan. His originality centered on his open and unrestricted style of singing and appealing selections of songs. But more than anything, he greatly influenced the a generation of vocalists.
The late Ahmad Zahir told Zaland, “When I was a kid, I wanted to sing like you.” Zaland replied, “Now I wish I could sing like you.”
On April 30, 2009, Jalil Zaland passed away at the age of 74 near Los Angles, California.
Most of his recording are in the Radio Afghanistan archives, which could do a great service by releasing those songs in a commercial box set commemorating Zaland and his influential legacy.
One favorite song is “Zulf-e Shab Rang-e Tou Karda Zawalanam”:
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The song has an air of romance and reminds me of a moonlit summer night. No doubt the arrangement is by the late Salim Sarmast, which you can hear his rhythmic trumpet throughout the song.
And here is Zaland in 1985 performing another classic tune with an aging Radio Afghanistan orchestra.
