KABUL ROCKS: The First And Only Afghan Rock Band

BBC: This is music from Afghanistan, of a kind seldom heard before, but now produced by a trio of young men. The band, Kabul Dreams, is made up of vocalist Sulaymon Qardash, bass player Siddique Ahmad and drummer Mujtaba Habibi, who claim to be the country’s first and only rock and roll group. “One year ago in December we decided to create this band and since it was happening in Kabul, we thought Kabul Dreams is a good name,” says the 19-year-old vocalist, who bears a distinct resemblance to Liam Gallagher of the British band Oasis. “It’s a real dream to play indie rock music in Afghanistan.” With the political turmoil which gripped Afghanistan in the 1990s, all three members sought refuge in the neighbouring countries of Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran, where they were influenced by the Western music they heard. “During the years of the Taliban, we were away and one positive thing for all of us was that we had an opportunity to learn music and have good facilities where we could practise,” says Ahmad, who lived in Pakistan for 10 years and played with bands producing new music. While original Afghan music is closely associated with traditional instruments like the rubab and dombura, indie rock is still a new genre – but it is catching on fast among Afghan youth. MORE