Despite threats and a fatwa, Aryana Sayeed, Afghanistan's most successful contemporary singer, is fighting "boorish stone age patriarchy". Yogesh Pawar meets the poster girl for Afghan women's rights
At 3 degree Celsius, Kabul could be the Siberian outback for the constitutional Mumbaikar. The steady bone-chilling rain doesn't help as one gets patted down by security to slip into the Franco-Afghan Le Bistro in the tony Shahre Naw neighbourhood.
The dry, welcoming warmth of the heated interiors gets further accentuated by Aryana Sayeed's smile as she sips tea delicately. The stunning (a Sophie Choudry meets Cher cross) singer-script writer is the most successful, popular, and talented female Afghan artiste of the current generation. A woman who CNN called "the Afghan voice that can't be silenced," given her immense following.
Getting here, though, hasn't been easy for the 30-year-old who has steadily climbed her way into hearts both in the war-ravaged country and in the global Afghan disapora, since her hit single Masha Allah, six years ago.
A faraway look clouds her kohl-lined almond eyes, as she recounts her harsh childhood. "I was born here in Kabul," she says proudly. Only seven when Ahmed Shah Masood led the Mujahideen onslaught into Kabul after the collapse of the Najibullah regime, she remembers, "Things were spiraling out of control and my family was forced to flee the country, first to Peshawar in Pakistan, from where we migrated to Switzerland."
It was during her Swiss schooling, she joined a choir to discover a life-long love for singing and music. "My still-scarred-from-their-experiences conservative family prevented weren't too happy. I was told, concentrate on studies." Later, when they moved to London, where she graduated from, the latent love and passion for music was back. "This time I decided to pursue my heart regardless of opposition. After Masha Allah and its video in 2009, and the outpouring of recognition from across the world, my family came around and are now quite supportive." The arrival of her current manager-producer, Hasib Sayed has only helped accelerate her journey to stardom, she insists.
A stardom, which she's modest about. "Afghans as a people had been badgered by the dark and ugly for far too long and hungered for positive recognition. I think I'm lucky I was there at the right moment," she says without bringing up her powerful yet sensually mellifluous voice.
Having lived in Kabul, Peshwar, London and also briefly in Canada, she chose to come back to Afghanistan to perform. It began with being approached by Tolo TV (Afghanistan's biggest entertainment TV channel) for a concert. "It was still unthinkable for a woman to perform and that too in the non-traditional genre outside the religious paradigm. There were several questions about security and safety too. But it felt special to come back to the land about which I had heard such glorious stories since early childhood, so I agreed."
Nothing had prepared her for the response. "It was an avalanche. People were used to watching lip-sync concerts till then and here I was singing live despite the most rudimentary technical support," she laughs at the memory. "The TV station was flooded with calls and mails from fans not only across Afghanistan but all over the world."
From there to hosting her own TV show, Music Night (2012) and going on to become a Coach on TheVoice Afghanistan and eventually a judge on Afghan Star, (Afghan avatar of American Idol), this fan following has taken on the form of a movement. "I love coming back to Afghanistan and would love to settle here and perform regularly. This is home."
And its not all a milk and honey story. Though a US-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime for providing refuge to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden in 2001, isolated pockets of those who endorse the 'religiously sanctioned' misogyny dictating how women should dress and conduct themselves still abound. "These elements try to enforce their way of life and extreme ideologies on others. Vile venal attacks and abuse on social media has now unfortunately become a part of my daily life," she says, "Afghan men feel its their right to judge all women artistes on personal choices. I avoid wearing anything revealing even for music videos, however even if the outfit is a bit tight or body-hugging, it is enough for abusive comments to begin."
Even until a few years ago, some of those threats and abuse would leave her in tears. "I then came to realise that this beast needs acknowledgement to thrive. Why should I give them that space when there are thousands out there who love, celebrate and cherish me and my work."
Five years ago, she faced what she calls her worst such ugly incident. An appearance on TheVoice Afghanistan without a veil led to a hateful smear campaign against her. "So much so, that an extremist religious TV station ran a 13-day campaign during the holy month of Ramadan, where senior clerics would lambast me daily, over my appearance which they found corrupting."
On the 13th night, these clerics ganged up to issue a fatwa against her. "They asked viewers to decapitate me promising them Heaven for this act. I remember sitting up all night shivering with rage and fear."
Though she was told by many to lie low and even flee, she did neither.
She points out how that episode led Afghan women to look up to her. "The kind of reprehensible persecution and abuse women face in this country is frightful. It is not uncommon to hear of women's noses being cut off, of them being stoned to death or even of those burnt alive. Despite millions of dollars flowing into Afghanistan in donations, little has changed for the Afghan woman."
Many leaders, unsurprisingly all men, feel Aryana is making the country look bad. "Despite the backlash, I have decided to continue to raise awareness on plight of women. Those who have an issue with that should join the movement instead of attacking me."
Her unflinching courage in the face of threats has seen her emerge as the poster girl for Afghan women's rights. In September this year she performed at the Roshan Afghanistan Premier League in September at a packed stadium at halftime. The powerful symbolism of performing at a venue where the Taliban used to earlier execute women for crimes like walking out of an abusive marriage at halftime is not lost on Aryana whose eyes glisten at the memory. "There I was an actual Afghan woman, head uncovered, on the same field performing to an upbeat happy song bringing the clapping and cheering crowd to their feet is a moment that I personally will never forget for the rest of my life."
Neither will we...
Qahramaan (Champion) by Aryana Sayeed
Agar balam shekasta, dahanam ra bebasta
Wa kar dewey zamana sar-e raham neshasta
Na dil giram na khasta, ze har bandam gosesta
Ba zendan ham nasazam, manam aazada rasta
Na aan bed-e zahefam ke tarsam ya belarzam
Ba har toofan ke aaree nafas daram berazmam
Ze tasmeemam nagardam dehe sad zakhm o dardam
Ba qamat ostwaram ba afkar-e belandam
Agar zakhm-e zabanat konad chashm-e mara tar
Wa gar teghe neghahat zanad roham ba tasher
Bekhwahi har chi aawar namegzaram ba tu sar
Ba afkar-e belandam konee aakher tu bawar
Na aan bed-e zahefam ke tarsam ya belarzam
Ba har toofan ke aaree nafas daram berazmam
Ze tasmeemam nagardam dehe sad zakhm o dardam
Ba qamat ostwaram ba afkar-e belandam
Ze nasl-e aatash o doodam khabar dar
Ke omr-e marg aazmoodam khabar dar
Ba armanam ba chashm-e bad nabini
Ke man aatash ke man doodam khabar dar
Translated in English: Champion
Even if my wings are broken...
My lips sealed shut.
Demons and predators of our time,
can't block my path as I try to get ahead...
They can't kill my hope nor tire me
The freedom I feel in my heart, mind and soul
Will never let you enslave me as your captive
As a free soul my path has been inspired by liberty
A weak willow tree is not who I am
That will easily tremble with fear...
Bring on the worst storm you can
My courage will help me sail through
I will never change my direction
Irrespective of the pain you send my way
I stand tall with my stature...
With thoughts as high as the sky
Even if the sting of your tongue brings tears to my eyes
Or if the blade of your gaze tries to slit my soul and cause my demise
Bring forth no matter what you can
I won't bow to you no matter what your plan
Because I know a day will finally come
When to my sky-high thoughts you'll finally succumb
A weak willow tree is not who I am
That will easily tremble with fear...
Bring on the worst storm you can
My courage will help me sail through
I will never change my direction
Irrespective of the pain you send my way
I am from the generation of smoke and fire, be warned!
I have tested and tried death for a lifetime, be warned!!
Don't you dare question my path or forbid my thoughts...
Cause I am smoke, I am fire, be warned!
You can watch a video of the performance here:
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