Awalmir
Encyclopedia
Ustad Awalmir (born 1931 Peshawar, British India) – (died April 24, 1982 in Kabul, Afghanistan) was an Afghan composer
, musician, singer and poet
who wrote and sang in the Pashto language
. He received the title of Ustad
from the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Awalmir's mother died in his childhood yet he graduated from the 10th grade.
He started to learn music from Ustad Jafar in Peshawar
and while he was a student of Ustad Jafer he performed several concerts. He continued learning music from other music teachers of the time and began to perform for radio
broadcasts. His first song at Peshawar Radio station was (My Heart Has Broken Pieces) ( زړگى مې شو ټوټې ټوټې ) .
At 18 he visited Kabul
in order to perform at the Independence Day
concert and remained there for the rest of his life.
He made a breakthrough into performing on the Afghan radio station through the help of the poet Malang Jan
. His output consists of over 250 magnificent songs as well as a great collection of self-composed songs. Malang Jan became a personal friend. Awalmir set his poems to music, which led him the honor of the title Ustad from the Ministry of Culture and Information. He spent the rest of his days as a beggar in the streets of Kabul, where he eventually lost his life. His tomb is located in Kabul, Afghanistan
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, musician, singer and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who wrote and sang in the Pashto language
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
. He received the title of Ustad
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
from the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Awalmir's mother died in his childhood yet he graduated from the 10th grade.
He started to learn music from Ustad Jafar in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
and while he was a student of Ustad Jafer he performed several concerts. He continued learning music from other music teachers of the time and began to perform for radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcasts. His first song at Peshawar Radio station was (My Heart Has Broken Pieces) ( زړگى مې شو ټوټې ټوټې ) .
At 18 he visited Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in order to perform at the Independence Day
Afghan Independence Day
Afghan Independence Day is celebrated in Afghanistan on 19 August to commemorate the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919. The treaty granted complete independence from Britain; although Afghanistan was never officially a part of the British Empire...
concert and remained there for the rest of his life.
He made a breakthrough into performing on the Afghan radio station through the help of the poet Malang Jan
Malang Jan
-Early life & education:Malang Jan was born as Mohammad Amin in Bihsud District of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. When he was only 3 years old, his father, Abdul Shakoor died. He was 15 years old when he along with his family moved to Kama District in search of work. Few years later he went to...
. His output consists of over 250 magnificent songs as well as a great collection of self-composed songs. Malang Jan became a personal friend. Awalmir set his poems to music, which led him the honor of the title Ustad from the Ministry of Culture and Information. He spent the rest of his days as a beggar in the streets of Kabul, where he eventually lost his life. His tomb is located in Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.