Farhad Darya
Encyclopedia
Farhad 'Darya' Nasher is an Afghan
singer and composer
, as well as a highly acclaimed music producer, and Good Will and Peace Ambassador for Afghanistan to the United Nations. Widely popular, he has earned affection for not only his music
but also patriotism
. He has fan base that stretches from his native Afghanistan to Central Asia
, Pakistan
, India
, and extending to the West
among the Afghans. Farhad sings in various languages including: Pashto
, Dari Persian
, Uzbek
, English
and Hindi
.
, Afghanistan
, to an Afghan family originating from Kunduz
. Farhad's blood lineage can be traced to the Nasher
Khans. Darya attended Sher Khan High School
in Kunduz, which was named after his grandfather Sher Khan after whom the Sher Khan Bander [Sher Khan Dam] is also named. He started his first band
by the name of Nayestan, meaning Reed-bed. He later graduated from Habibia High School
. After high school he enrolled in the Polytechnical University of Kabul
and then subsequently in Kabul University
. It was while attending Kabul University that Darya founded his first professional band, Goroh-e-Baran, meaning Rain Band. Initially it was to be called Halqahai Tilayee (Golden Rings) but the newcomers later settled on the former title. The band itself was not largely successful, due in part to its non-traditional music; however, it did acquaint the public with the faces of the member singers: Darya, Asad Badie
, Mukhtar Majid and Jawid Rahie. Still involved in his music career, Darya continued his studies in college. During this time, he wrote music for other artists under the pseudonym
Abr (Cloud). In 1988, Darya became a professor at the university and taught Western classical music for a year before leaving for Europe
.
After traveling through Prague
and Hamburg
, Darya arrived in Paris
, where he would meet Sultana Emam. The two were married in 1993, and moved to the United States
in 1995, where they still live in the state of Virginia
. In 1996, they had a son, Hejran Darya. and is 14 years old.
and his singing profession
did not materialize into an established career
. Mainly involved with the Rain Band, he was only recognized merely as a single part of a whole group. However, after his emigration
from Afghanistan and the dissolution
of the group, he embarked on a solo career.
debut on Afghanistan's television network
in 1980, he has released over two dozen albums-the acclaimed ones produced in exile
, many of which deal with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the resulting misfortunes of the war-torn nation. Most of the music is aimed at helping the people of Afghanistan and bringing unity to his native country. His 2003 album Salam Afghanistan, specifically, deals with themes of national unity. These efforts have earned him much acclaim and the title of "Best Singer of the Year" in his country, and most recently in Copenhagen
, Denmark
.
He has sung songs in various Afghan dialects, as well as in Uzbeki
and Hindi
. Darya started playing Afghan
and Indian classical music
since 1978. He intends to expand his knowledge in this domain as much as possible. Most of Darya's vocal exercises are in accordance with the rules of Hindustani classical music
.
Besides the latest album Ha farhad darya has many other hits like Ghamgen Kabul, Donya Gozaran, salam Afghanistan and khalwat e ku ke khayalat. He has sung both patriotic as well as romantic songs however, patriotic songs won more popularity than the romantic songs.
in 2007.
Darya produced background music for the film In Foreign Land
(1998).
Farhad Darya is also working on a new movie with Afghan actor Masood Jan and the movie is in post-production.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
singer and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, as well as a highly acclaimed music producer, and Good Will and Peace Ambassador for Afghanistan to the United Nations. Widely popular, he has earned affection for not only his music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
but also patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
. He has fan base that stretches from his native Afghanistan to Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and extending to the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
among the Afghans. Farhad sings in various languages including: Pashto
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
, Dari Persian
Dari (Eastern Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
, Uzbek
Uzbek language
Uzbek is a Turkic language and the official language of Uzbekistan. It has about 25.5 million native speakers, and it is spoken by the Uzbeks in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.
Early years and personal life
Farhad Darya was born in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, to an Afghan family originating from Kunduz
Kunduz
Kunduz also known as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. It is linked by highways with Mazari Sharif to the west, Kabul to the south and Tajikistan's border to the north...
. Farhad's blood lineage can be traced to the Nasher
Nasher
Nasher may refer to:* Nasher , an Afghan family of the Kharoti tribe* Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University* Nasher Sculpture Center, a museum in Dallas, Texas...
Khans. Darya attended Sher Khan High School
Shir Khan
Shir Khan may refer to:* Sher Khan Nashir, Afghan political leader in Kunduz in the 1930s* Shir Khan Bandar, a town in Afghanistan...
in Kunduz, which was named after his grandfather Sher Khan after whom the Sher Khan Bander [Sher Khan Dam] is also named. He started his first band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
by the name of Nayestan, meaning Reed-bed. He later graduated from Habibia High School
Habibia High School
Habibia High School is a school in Kabul, Afghanistan, which has educated many of the former and current Afghan elite, including President Hamid Karzai and the country's most famous musician Ahmad Zahir. It was founded by King Habibullah Khan in 1903....
. After high school he enrolled in the Polytechnical University of Kabul
Polytechnical University of Kabul
Kabul Polytechnic is a university located in Kabul, Afghanistan and was established in 1963 in Karte Mamourin area beside the Intercontinental Hotel...
and then subsequently in Kabul University
Kabul University
Kabul University is located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It was founded in 1931 but officially opened for classes in 1932. Kabul University is currently attended by approximately 7,000 students, of which 1,700 are women. As of 2008, Hamidullah Amin is the chancellor of the university...
. It was while attending Kabul University that Darya founded his first professional band, Goroh-e-Baran, meaning Rain Band. Initially it was to be called Halqahai Tilayee (Golden Rings) but the newcomers later settled on the former title. The band itself was not largely successful, due in part to its non-traditional music; however, it did acquaint the public with the faces of the member singers: Darya, Asad Badie
Asad Badie
Asad Badie is a singer from Afghanistan of pop music. He is one of the 1980s era singers that emerged as Dari music was reaching the zenith of its international popularity. As a member of Goroh-e-Baran , that included Farhad Darya and others, he became immensely popular not only for his voice,...
, Mukhtar Majid and Jawid Rahie. Still involved in his music career, Darya continued his studies in college. During this time, he wrote music for other artists under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Abr (Cloud). In 1988, Darya became a professor at the university and taught Western classical music for a year before leaving for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
After traveling through Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Darya arrived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he would meet Sultana Emam. The two were married in 1993, and moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1995, where they still live in the state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. In 1996, they had a son, Hejran Darya. and is 14 years old.
Career
Up Until late 1980s
During the 1980s, Darya's focus was his educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and his singing profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
did not materialize into an established career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
. Mainly involved with the Rain Band, he was only recognized merely as a single part of a whole group. However, after his emigration
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from Afghanistan and the dissolution
Dissolution (law)
In law, dissolution has multiple meanings.Dissolution is the last stage of liquidation, the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed....
of the group, he embarked on a solo career.
1990s to Present
Since Farhad's televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
debut on Afghanistan's television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
in 1980, he has released over two dozen albums-the acclaimed ones produced in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
, many of which deal with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the resulting misfortunes of the war-torn nation. Most of the music is aimed at helping the people of Afghanistan and bringing unity to his native country. His 2003 album Salam Afghanistan, specifically, deals with themes of national unity. These efforts have earned him much acclaim and the title of "Best Singer of the Year" in his country, and most recently in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
He has sung songs in various Afghan dialects, as well as in Uzbeki
Uzbek language
Uzbek is a Turkic language and the official language of Uzbekistan. It has about 25.5 million native speakers, and it is spoken by the Uzbeks in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. Darya started playing Afghan
Klasik
The classical music of Afghanistan is called klasik, which includes both instrumental and vocal forms . Many ustad, or professional musicians, are descended from Indian artists who emigrated to the royal court in Kabul in the 1860s upon the invitation of Amir Sher Ali Khan.These north Indian...
and Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
since 1978. He intends to expand his knowledge in this domain as much as possible. Most of Darya's vocal exercises are in accordance with the rules of Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
.
Release of his successful album "HA!"
In 2008 Darya released his international CD HA!. According to Beerobar.com sources the CD has been a Super hit inside Afghanistan. The video of Nazdeek Shodan (Dohle Bezan) from his album HA was released on Afghanistan National Television, which was a hit among Afghans inside the country, and the afghan diaspora.Besides the latest album Ha farhad darya has many other hits like Ghamgen Kabul, Donya Gozaran, salam Afghanistan and khalwat e ku ke khayalat. He has sung both patriotic as well as romantic songs however, patriotic songs won more popularity than the romantic songs.
Films
Darya produced additional scoring and lyrics for Through Her Eyes a film by Mithaq KazimiMithaq Kazimi
Mithaq Kazimi is a film director and producer, mostly known for his documentary film 16 Days in Afghanistan and founding member of Dawn Breakers International Film Festival...
in 2007.
Darya produced background music for the film In Foreign Land
In Foreign Land
In a Foreign Land is a 2004 American-made Afghan film. It stars Salam Sangi of Gunah, Leena Alam, Farah of the movie Hadesa, Kanishka of the movie Lost Pearls, and Radio Afghanistan and TV artist Qamargul...
(1998).
Awards
- Afghanistan: Best Singer of the Year (2003)
- Denmark: Best Singer of the Year (2005)
- Afghanistan: "Best Album of the Year" (2008)
- Afghanistan: "Best Singer of the Year" (2009)
- Human Rights Award: (2007)
Farhad Darya is also working on a new movie with Afghan actor Masood Jan and the movie is in post-production.
Discography
- Released in Afghanistan
- Yaare Bewafaa (یار بی وفا)
- Rahe Rafta (راه رفته)
- Afghan Folk Music (محلي)
- Zaro Jane (زارو جانه)
- Baran (باران)
- Ghazal (غزل)
- Bolbole Awara (بلبل آواره)
- Mazdeegar (مازديگر)
- Bazme Ghazal (بزم غزل)
- Mehrbaani (مهربانی)
- Released Abroad
- Begum Jan (بیگم جان)
- Teri Soorat (तेरी सूरत / تیری صورت)
- Ateschparcha (آتش پرچه)
- Afghanistan (افغانستان)
- Live In San Francisco (كنسرت سانفرانسيسكو)
- Shakar (شكر)
- In Foreign Land (در سرزمين بيگانه)
- Qabila-e-Ashiq (قبیلهء عاشق)
- Golom Golom (گُلم گُلم)
- Salaam Afghanistan (سلام افغانستان)
- HA!( 2008 )
- Yahoo (2008)
- Compilations
- Listen To The Banned (2010)