Girls and women get a chance to sing and play instruments

January 25, 2010 (AAR), Kabul: Nahid Afshar, 21, wants to be a famous singer.

“It was always my desire to be able to play and sing and become famous in my society,” said Nahid, who is in the final year of secondary school. “Whenever I tried to make a start, though my family stopped me.”

Now, thanks to the initiative of musician Jawad Tabesh, Herat now has a music training centre dedicated to educating women.

The centre is basic, a small room located on the second floor of an old apartment building. But to aspiring musicians, it is a palace.

She practices her singing here and plans to record songs once she has attained a high enough level of artistic skill.

“Many of my classmates also want to come,” she said.

There are about ten young women at the centre, each busy with a different instrument or vocal exercise. The sounds of the harmonium, tabla, or drum, mix with guitars and other stringed instruments, as well as female voices.

Tabesh is a pioneer of music in Herat, and decided to start a training centre for girls after repeated requests. He said he established the centre, “to serve my countrywomen and our music.”

Elaha, 25, is learning to play guitar at the centre. She hopes to become a professional singer, to play for women’s music parties and earn enough to support her family, commenting, “now that the situation has improved, we should take advantage of it.”

Two Herati female singers participated in the popular television programme Afghan Star, based on American Idol in the United States. They did extremely well, with one, Setara, reaching the final rounds. One, Farida Tarana, recently won a seat on the Kabul provincial council.