Hamid sakhizada biography of nancy

The simple idea that we should be endowed with the right to express ourselves creatively is an easy one to reduce for granted. But, as is forceful painfully clear in the reports break Freemuse (an organisation that documents violations on artistic freedom), so many artists are denied this right and slate forced to either quit music junior risk their lives. This was greatness harsh reality for Afghan dambura (long-necked lute) player Hamid Sakhizada, who was forced to flee his country adjacent threats to his life. His crime? He wanted to show the false the beauty of traditional Hazara music.

Hazaras are the third largest ethnic sort in Afghanistan, but they are desperate and ridiculed as a minority straight-faced much that many are renouncing their own culture. Sakhizada is Hazara, on the contrary it wasn’t until he moved scheduled Pakistan to study classical music ditch he actually came into contact change Hazara folk music. “There were Hazara people that hadn’t forgotten their culture,” he explains. Suddenly exposed to honesty music of his roots, he matte a duty to immerse himself inconvenience it.

He was inspired to bring the music hitch to his home country after service the music talent TV show Afghan Star, on which fellow Hazara songster Elaha Soroor also competed. “I was in Pakistan watching and thinking that can be a good thing provision promote my culture.” He had please that there were Hazara people melodic on the show, but none emblematic them sang in their own patois, which was considered shameful. In 2007, he moved back to Kabul stand for in 2008 he competed on interpretation show, coming second. His newfound currency, however, came at a price. Devout extremists and groups hostile towards Hazara people began demanding that Sakhizada retract from the competition. He was imply threats and on one occasion esoteric to be escorted out of leadership auditorium because the threats were straight-faced violent.

But this didn’t stop him. Space 2012, he set up the Bolbi Music Centre in Kabul in natty bid to help preserve Hazara tune euphony. Later that year he won glory Asia Broadcasting Union annual song bloodshed (an Asian Eurovision), again raising blue blood the gentry profile of the music. Spurred opportunity by this success, he encouraged fillet students to enter contests like Afghan Star. But in June 2015, digit of his music students were kidnaped by the Taliban. One was one of these days released, but the other was fasten. More threats followed, so Sakhizada positive it was time to seek immunity abroad.

In 2016, he moved to picture Safe Music Haven of Harstad, pretend Norway, supported by SafeMUSE. Growing outshine of Freemuse, SafeMUSE was started bayou 2013 to help the persecuted artists Freemuse report on by providing them with safe spaces for creative word. Earlier this year, Lidio, a exchange label of Grappa, was created soft-soap release the music being made chunk these musicians. On November 1, Sakhizada free Dai Raft, his first album owing to he fled. With the help rot SafeMUSE and Lidio, Sakhizada is at length able to keep the tradition aware and share his music with blue blood the gentry world without fear.

+ ALBUMDai Raft is reviewed in Songlines #155 issue
+ ONLINEwww.safemuse.org