Musicians - Ahmad Zahir

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	Musicians - Ahmad Zahir

Ahmad Zahir (June 14, 1946 - June 14, 1979), was an Afghan musician.

Birth

Ahmad Zahir was born on the 23rd of Jauza, 1325 (June 13, 1946) in the province of Laghman. He was the son of Abdul Zahir, a royal court doctor and a one-time prime minister. Ahmad became a very influential person in Afghan music. He is the most famous Afghan Singer. Even 26 years after his death, his songs still surround the Afghan Musical scenario. His involvement with the musical arts began at a very young age. In the early 1960s at Habibia High School in Kabul, he was part of the amateur musical band where he began performing and giving concerts.

Career

The 1960s was an ideal time for this new form of music dubbed "amaturi" (amateur) or non-professional because the musicians and performers were not from traditional families that made their living on music.

By the late 1960s, Ahmad Zahir began to fully contribute to his new musical movement. Blessed with an extraordinary tenor voice and acute musical instincts, Zahir directed Afghan music to new depths. He also had the opportunity to work with the best individuals in the Kabul music scene such as the late saxophonist Ustad Ismail Azami, trumpeter Ustad Nangalai and composers Naynawaz, Taranasaz, and Mas'hour Jamal.

With a strong passion and determination, Ahmad Zahir recorded 22 albums. Along with singing some of the best compositions of love songs, ghazals and free verse poems, he also selected to sing poems that had compelling meaning and depth that rendered social political themes; these songs include Zendagi Akher Sarayad (Life Comes to an End), Ma'ra az en Qafas Azad Konad (Free Me From This Cage) and many others.

What made Ahmad Zahir spectacular were not just his songs but also how unpretentious he was from his childhood to his days of celebrity fame. He was the most celebrated popular Afghan music phenomenon of his era and, for many, the purest embodiment of modern Afghan music. Ahmad Zahir's life and career have become part of music legend for many Afghans.

Fame and Legacy

By 1973 (1352), Ahmad Zahir's popularity had developed into a national frenzy. In 1973, at the zenith of his career, he and his wife separated. This was during the time when he held more concerts and toured major cities in Afghanistan. The love of the audience for him and his music was growing increasingly." He had become an icon and his popularity spilled over national boundaries. He sang "Banu Banu" while on tour in Iran. During this time, Ahmad Zahir earned the national title, "Singer of the Year." In his acceptance speech, he advised future musicians that "Ghorur shikast hunari bar mewarad…riqabati hunari bayad sahlim bashad nah hasahdat amiz. (Pride brings failure to artistry, competition in Arts and artisty needs to be positive, not filled with envy."

In spite of his free-spirited posturing, Ahmad Zahir remained studiously polite to his elders and was devoted to his mother. In fact, his mother's death came at a stressful time in his life. It moved him so much that he wrote one of him most passionate songs for her: "Binazam qalbi pak az madar-e- man siya shood, khuda-ya madaram az man juda shood." Ahmad Zahir himself created an aesthetic vocabulary for dealing with joy, love, pain, and loneliness through his music that is unparalleled by modern musicians

Although Ahmad Zahir had not followed in his father's footsteps at becoming a statesman, he did retained most of his late father's political nature and intelligence. Instead of expressing himself from behind the lectern, he made his people's beliefs known by carefully researching, selecting and performing suitable poems as songs in the recording studio and private gatherings. Like early 20th century Afghan musicians, Ahmad Zahir had matured into a brilliant musician, but more importantly he had become a national figure of acclaim.

Ahmad Zahir's song "Zindagi akhir sarayad" was a poem concerning man's relationship to God. However, the fact that he chose to sing these radical lyrics "zindagi akhir sarayad, bandagi dar car-o nist, bandagi dar shart-o bashad, zindagi dar car-o nist," displays the views of a revolutionary artist. The lyrics convey to us that we should act on our plans right now for tomorrow is too late. Ahmad Zahir like progress and when the country became a republic in 1973, he congratulated the new government by singing two songs "Da Jamhoriat" and "Mubarak Jamhori Mubarak." Accordingly, when he noticed that the republic was full of empty promises he again raised his voice. His song "Ilahi man namedanam, bah ilmi khood tu medani," which was recorded and played on the radio became a controversial song in the mid-70's. According to insiders, the song's verse "Tu padshah-e haft kishwar" drew some criticism from the government. The Administration assumed Ahmad Zahir had denounced President Daoud Khan who was also Minister of numerous Cabinet positions. Soon radios stopped playing the song because of political pressure levied by the government. However, that did not bother the free-spirited Ahmad Zahir.

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