As Afghanistan sees a shocking uptick in tourism regardless of years of battle, 1000’s of miles away in New Delhi, it’s the ache of displacement and “want for homeland” that unites Afghan refugees. On World Refugee Day, June 21, this shared sense of nostalgia and resilience introduced collectively tons of of individuals from Afghan, Iranian, Burmese and different refugee communities at Alliance Française for a night of music and reminiscence.
Whereas artists from numerous nations carried out throughout genres, it was Salaam, a band of Afghan refugee musicians, that left the viewers spellbound with their soulful qawwalis. Singing legendary Afghan artist Farhad Darya’s songs and weaving in conventional folklore, the band channelled a robust message of peace. The viewers nodded alongside, clapped in rhythm, and plenty of felt a uncommon second of “dwelling”.
The Salaam band was began in 2013 and the artists discover it as a approach to join with their homeland and channelise their feelings (Photograph: Alliance Francaise)
In an interplay with indianexpress.com, members of the band spoke about their inventive journey, how they make music a software to heal minds and unfold the phrase about Afghanistan.
The band was based in 2013 by Ahmad Haidar Hadis, who beforehand launched one other group, Yuva Beats, in 2010. Hadis, who began his musical journey as an adolescent in Pakistan, has over 20 years of expertise in music. He sought refuge in India in 2009. Through the years, he has labored with Afghan tv and was a member of the distinguished Afghan band Nawa.
“There was no platform for refugee musicians in India,” Hadis stated. “That’s why I began Salaam. We wished an area the place we may protect our music, our language, our heritage.”
The band’s supervisor, Athena, recounted the group’s early days. She stated most individuals who stumbled upon them wished to ask concerning the Taliban, how they function, and the “scenario” again dwelling. “Afghanistan is not only concerning the Taliban; we wished to color an image of our folks residing there. We need to depict our tradition earlier than the world – the land is not only about battle however many different issues,” she stated.
Athena shared that the band’s members fled Afghanistan through the years resulting from instability and lack of inventive freedom. “Even through the US intervention, artists weren’t protected. India was a pure vacation spot due to its pleasant ties with Afghanistan and the relative ease of acquiring visas and refugee documentation,” she stated.
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Maasih Jafari, the band’s guitarist, stated music stays a contested topic in Afghanistan. “In some areas it’s authorized, in others it’s thought of haram, relying on the area’s cultural and non secular leanings,” he stated.
From Farah Daryah’s works, Parde mein rahne do to Afghan folklore, the band enthralled the viewers. (Photograph: Alliance Francaise)
Jafari, a self-taught musician, started enjoying in 2018 and joined Salaam in 2023. He attracts from a spread of influences, together with Hairat, Iranian folks music, and Farhad Darya’s work. “We don’t simply want peace for Afghanistan, we’d like it for the entire world,” he stated.
Remembering the times of displacement and in search of asylum, guitarist Badnashare stated, “You undergo turbulent feelings, and it’s a tough expertise. The songs you create will resonate with it. Our music reveals important components of the friendship between Afghanistan and India.”
Madiha Hasiq, the band’s lead singer, stated, “All our songs are associated to our homeland, and music is how we keep related to Afghanistan.”
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From embassies to United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) occasions and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) cultural festivals, Salaam has discovered its rhythm in India’s various music scene. The band sees music not simply as efficiency, however as survival, as a type of emotional launch, a approach to inform their tales.