This morning NPR’s Steve Inskeep profiled the music of Afghanistan’s Ammad Zahir as part of the program’s 50 Great Voices series, which highlights the most influential of singers from around the world.
Zahir, called “Afghanistan’s Elvis” by many of his followers, was the king of the music scene in the go-go days of Kabul, when it served as a meeting point for Asian and Western cultures and before the country descended into 30 years of chaos and war. The tabla, a drum originating in India and used throughout South Asia, features heavily on many of his compositions.
One of his tracks was featured in the critically acclaimed film, The Kite Runner.
Hear more samples of his songs, which focus on love and poverty, along with the NPR report, below.