The Zahir Foundation for the Arts (“ZFFTA”) takes its name from Ahmad Zahir, Afghanistan’s most renowned musician, known for his ability to unite various tribes in Afghanistan through music while challenging cultural taboos surrounding art and music. He has posthumously become a symbol of the peaceful Afghanistan that once existed. Ahmad Zahir's lyrics and lifestyle were a testament to free speech, though it's speculated that his outspokenness may have ultimately led to his tragic demise. Additionally, Ahmad's father, Dr. Abdul Zahir, a former Prime Minister of Afghanistan, played a role in ratifying a new Afghan constitution in 1964 that emphasized women's rights and freedom of the press.
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The mission of The Zahir Foundation for the Arts is to preserve Afghanistan’s art, history, and cultural heritage, while also empowering women and enabling all Afghans to pursue the arts without fear for their safety or social rejection.
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Negine Khpalwak, one of our Officers at ZFFTA, is Afghanistan's first female conductor and leads Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in Afghanistan from ANIM. She recently fled Afghanistan due to the Taliban invasion and now resides in the United States. She hopes that her involvement with ZFFTA will inspire all musicians, especially women, to pursue their artistic passions without fear.
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ZFFTA will be documenting an evening in November 2022, during which Negine will perform arrangements of Ahmad Zahir's music. One of these arrangements is 'Zindagi Akhir Sarayat,' which provided Negine with the strength and inspiration to pursue music. Ahmad Zahir wrote this song when the communist government banned it from radio airplay. As relevant today as it was when it was first recorded, this revolutionary song is infused with rock elements. When translated to English, the song's refrain is:
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‘Freedom and liberty mean life to mankind.
There’s no need for submission,
Fight for your freedom.’