Life for Sulyman Qardash, the lead singer of Kabul Dreams, has not been easy. Although born in Afghanistan, Qardash fled to Uzbekistan as a refugee and grew up there. Upon his return to Afghanistan in 2008, he and two fellow...
KEEP READINGAfghan Music at Davos
Jan 26, 2017
Zohra, Afghanistan's first all-female orchestra, performed a concert in front of world leaders at the closing of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 20. Under the direction of Negina Khpalwak, herself the country's first female conductor, the group performed parts of Beethoven's 9th Symphony alongside popular Afghan pieces such as "Watan Jan" (Dear Homeland).
Zohra was created at the suggestion of a young female student at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. The school’s director, Ahmad Naser Sarmast, has called the group a “beacon of hope” in the face of hostile opposition by the Taliban and their sympathizers. Zohra's career continues in the face of discrimination and even death threats in their home country, showcasing Afghan music and culture to the world.
You can listen to the group's Davos concert here.
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