00.00 Afghanistan. You know it as the land of al-Qaeda, the Mountains, turbans, bullet-holes,
Taliban, endless war, religious fundamentalism ... and the mosque, boy with toy gun,
burka. burka.
00.18 Not the easiest place then, for a girl to become a pop star. Mariam sings.
But that's exactly what nineteen-year old Mariam wants.
Mariam was the first female singer to perform in public in
Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.
00.32 MARIAM: Mariam interview in Farsi.
I want to be myself in my own way, not what other people
tell me - "You have to be this Mariam. " when I don't
want to be that Mariam. I want to be the Mariam I want
to be.
00.53 Mariam hopes her music will broaden the horizons of her Kabul street shots, tape on tree,
fellow Afghans. Not something the Taliban wanted to see. musicians playing.
The Taliban outlawed music altogether during their reign.
The cassette tapes and musical instruments they
confiscated were hung as a warning to others. Being
caught with a guitar or drum could get you beaten or even
killed.
01.l6 The traditional musicians' quarter of Kabul was Musicians' quarter, houses at
completely destroyed. Musicians either gave up their night.
music, played in their houses like a secret religion, or fled
the country.
01.31 Now most have returned, and some - like these - run Musicians' shop.
businesses, hiring themselves out for weddings and other
occasions.
01.39 Instruments are on sale again, music schools are popping Instrument shops, Sufi
up all over the country, and the crowds are back enjoying musicians' night.
their music.
Yes, things are much better for musicians. But they still
face problems. Although Afghans love music, most don't
love the ones who make it. Musicians - who traditionally
hand down their trade ITom generation to generation -
form one of the country's lowest status groups. It's a tough
way to grind out a living.
02.10 In pre-Islamic times, a wall was built in Kabul to separate Kabul wall, youth in street, older
warring factions. Today the country is still divided ... into in street, barbed wire.
those - mainly young and urban - who want a modem,
liberal and international society, and the religious
conservatives, who view outside influences as corrupting
and un-Islamic. The music scene is now one of the main
battlegrounds for the soul of Afghanistan.
02.35 Whatever problems remain for musicians, it's much, much Mariam plays piano.
. worse for women, and most female Afghan singers live
abroad. One successful artist now living in Germany said a
woman singing in Afghanistan is like committing suicide.
02.51 MARIAM: Mariam interview in Farsi.
One time I was on the way home about 4pm, when some
boys from my area blocked my way. They said" You're a
whore, you're a dancer's daughter, who are you? We
don't want to see you in this area again. If we see you
again, the rest is your responsibility. We have warned
you .••
The people in that area kill women. They kill them.
Especially, young people like myself who are involved in
cinema, arts and music are more in danger.
03.53 Mariam gets verbal abuse all the time as well as stones Mariam and Shaqiba play.
thrown at her in the street. Even her family wants to stop
her singing. One of the only reasons Mariam is able to
carry on is the support she gets ITom her cousin Shaqiba,
who also plays at the school.
04.11 SHAQIBA: Shaqiba interview in Farsi.
My family doesn't like it velY much for me to follow
music, because people gossip about us. "Look, their
daughter is a dancer. Their daughter is wild. Imagine
what else she could be getting up to!"
04.30 A couple of years ago, women weren't even seen on TV. Pop video.
Now pop videos from the likes ofIran, India and America
show men dancing with women in skimpy outfits. And this
in a country where most women still wear the burka! It's
too much for some. Staff at TV stations have received
death threats from the Taliban, and one young female pop
presenter was murdered. Most believe because of her
openly Western lifestyle.
04.58 While most Afghans wouldn't respond in such an extreme Loudin enters.
way, they're not comfortable with such a permissive
society.
05.07 MA WLA WI AT AULLAH LOUDIN MP (ISLAMIC Loudin interview in Pashto.
PARTY):
Women dancing, women singing in public in front of
crowds ... This is against Afghan values. It's against our
religion and our culture.
05.23 On top of the gender issues, Afghans are worried about the Meat on hook, UN jeep, gun,
commercialisation of their culture. Foreign interference crane, internet sign, Sohrab
over the years has left them suspicious of anything that Ahmed plays piano.
comes from outside - whether it's Arab extremism or
Western exploitation. The push for change, unsurprisingly
then, is coming from the huge population of Afghans, who
are returning from their exiles abroad - such as the
teachers at Ariana Music School.
05.49 SOHRAB AHMED (MUSIC TEACHER): Sohrab Ahmed interview in
English.
As good humans, I think, not even Afghans, as good
humans we have to accept the good parts from every
culture, and get rid of the bad parts from every culture.
Our own culture and the Western culture.
( 1
06.03 For Mariam, meanwhile, the music that brings her so Mariam sings.
much heartache, is also what keeps her going.
06.17 MARIAM: Mariam interview in
Farsi/Mariam sings.
I would see the peace and joy that music gives to people. I
want to be a person that gives this peace and joy to
people as well. I want to sing and I want people that hear
my voice to feel a peace.
06.40 END
Taliban, endless war, religious fundamentalism ... and the mosque, boy with toy gun,
burka. burka.
00.18 Not the easiest place then, for a girl to become a pop star. Mariam sings.
But that's exactly what nineteen-year old Mariam wants.
Mariam was the first female singer to perform in public in
Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.
00.32 MARIAM: Mariam interview in Farsi.
I want to be myself in my own way, not what other people
tell me - "You have to be this Mariam. " when I don't
want to be that Mariam. I want to be the Mariam I want
to be.
00.53 Mariam hopes her music will broaden the horizons of her Kabul street shots, tape on tree,
fellow Afghans. Not something the Taliban wanted to see. musicians playing.
The Taliban outlawed music altogether during their reign.
The cassette tapes and musical instruments they
confiscated were hung as a warning to others. Being
caught with a guitar or drum could get you beaten or even
killed.
01.l6 The traditional musicians' quarter of Kabul was Musicians' quarter, houses at
completely destroyed. Musicians either gave up their night.
music, played in their houses like a secret religion, or fled
the country.
01.31 Now most have returned, and some - like these - run Musicians' shop.
businesses, hiring themselves out for weddings and other
occasions.
01.39 Instruments are on sale again, music schools are popping Instrument shops, Sufi
up all over the country, and the crowds are back enjoying musicians' night.
their music.
Yes, things are much better for musicians. But they still
face problems. Although Afghans love music, most don't
love the ones who make it. Musicians - who traditionally
hand down their trade ITom generation to generation -
form one of the country's lowest status groups. It's a tough
way to grind out a living.
02.10 In pre-Islamic times, a wall was built in Kabul to separate Kabul wall, youth in street, older
warring factions. Today the country is still divided ... into in street, barbed wire.
those - mainly young and urban - who want a modem,
liberal and international society, and the religious
conservatives, who view outside influences as corrupting
and un-Islamic. The music scene is now one of the main
battlegrounds for the soul of Afghanistan.
02.35 Whatever problems remain for musicians, it's much, much Mariam plays piano.
. worse for women, and most female Afghan singers live
abroad. One successful artist now living in Germany said a
woman singing in Afghanistan is like committing suicide.
02.51 MARIAM: Mariam interview in Farsi.
One time I was on the way home about 4pm, when some
boys from my area blocked my way. They said" You're a
whore, you're a dancer's daughter, who are you? We
don't want to see you in this area again. If we see you
again, the rest is your responsibility. We have warned
you .••
The people in that area kill women. They kill them.
Especially, young people like myself who are involved in
cinema, arts and music are more in danger.
03.53 Mariam gets verbal abuse all the time as well as stones Mariam and Shaqiba play.
thrown at her in the street. Even her family wants to stop
her singing. One of the only reasons Mariam is able to
carry on is the support she gets ITom her cousin Shaqiba,
who also plays at the school.
04.11 SHAQIBA: Shaqiba interview in Farsi.
My family doesn't like it velY much for me to follow
music, because people gossip about us. "Look, their
daughter is a dancer. Their daughter is wild. Imagine
what else she could be getting up to!"
04.30 A couple of years ago, women weren't even seen on TV. Pop video.
Now pop videos from the likes ofIran, India and America
show men dancing with women in skimpy outfits. And this
in a country where most women still wear the burka! It's
too much for some. Staff at TV stations have received
death threats from the Taliban, and one young female pop
presenter was murdered. Most believe because of her
openly Western lifestyle.
04.58 While most Afghans wouldn't respond in such an extreme Loudin enters.
way, they're not comfortable with such a permissive
society.
05.07 MA WLA WI AT AULLAH LOUDIN MP (ISLAMIC Loudin interview in Pashto.
PARTY):
Women dancing, women singing in public in front of
crowds ... This is against Afghan values. It's against our
religion and our culture.
05.23 On top of the gender issues, Afghans are worried about the Meat on hook, UN jeep, gun,
commercialisation of their culture. Foreign interference crane, internet sign, Sohrab
over the years has left them suspicious of anything that Ahmed plays piano.
comes from outside - whether it's Arab extremism or
Western exploitation. The push for change, unsurprisingly
then, is coming from the huge population of Afghans, who
are returning from their exiles abroad - such as the
teachers at Ariana Music School.
05.49 SOHRAB AHMED (MUSIC TEACHER): Sohrab Ahmed interview in
English.
As good humans, I think, not even Afghans, as good
humans we have to accept the good parts from every
culture, and get rid of the bad parts from every culture.
Our own culture and the Western culture.
( 1
06.03 For Mariam, meanwhile, the music that brings her so Mariam sings.
much heartache, is also what keeps her going.
06.17 MARIAM: Mariam interview in
Farsi/Mariam sings.
I would see the peace and joy that music gives to people. I
want to be a person that gives this peace and joy to
people as well. I want to sing and I want people that hear
my voice to feel a peace.
06.40 END