Mahwash
Encyclopedia
- for the village in Yemen see Mahwash, YemenMahwash, YemenMahwash, Yemen is a village in western central Yemen. It is located in the San‘a’ Governorate.-External links:*...
Ustad Mahwash (born Farida Mahwash, in 1947, Kabul, Afghanistan) commonly referred to as Ustad Mahwash (Afghan: استاد مهوش) is a popular Afghan
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...
singer. She was the first woman (as of 2006) to have been conferred the honorary title
Title of honor
An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...
of “Ustad” (meaning Master or Maestra in Dari
Dari (Eastern Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
). She currently lives in exile in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; however, she occasionally does tour other countries for performances.
Biography
Ustad Farida Mahwash was born to a conservative family in AfghanistanAfghanistan
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...
. Her mother was teacher of Quran and therefore religion influenced her upbringing. Her interest in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, because of this factor, was suppressed for years as the society of that time looked upon female singers and musicians with contempt
Contempt
Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace, and an open disrespect or willful...
. Upon completion of her studies, Farida accepted a position in the Kabul Radio Station
Radio Kabul
Radio Kabul is the official radio station of Afghanistan. The name Radio Kabul has been given to many different incarnations of the state-run radio station since the first radio transmitters were installed in Kabul in the 1920s....
. She was discovered here by the director of the radio station who was impressed by her voice and therefore encouraged Farida to pursue singing as a career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
.
Farida took music and singing lessons under the scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
of Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti
Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti
Mohammad Hashem Cheshti, also known with surname Chishti and as Ustad Hashem , was a contemporary classical musician and composer born in Kharabat area of Kabul, Afghanistan, who died in 1994 in Germany under unclear circumstances....
. He was an established maestro
Maestro
Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...
and put the protégé to rigorous training. Most of the lessons were based on classical Indian music that serve to train most singers of Afghanistan up until today. In 1977, Farida was conferred the title of Maestra by Ustad Sarahang, a controversial honor that had up until this point been reserved only for men. In 1977 she received the title of Ustad (Master). This new, high-fidelity recording honours those who made the radio a focal point for life in Afghanistan from 1940 on, when it broadcast a blend of Indian, Persian & Afghan music. In 2003 the BBC granted Mahwash the Asia/Pacific Award of World Music. She remains a very potent vocalist and is beautifully accompanied on an album of passionate yet refined, very haunting music.
After the political turmoil of late 70s and early 80s that extended into the 90s, Farida was forced to leave Afghanistan in 1991. She moved to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
where she took refuge from the two warring sides of the time, each of whom warned her to sing for their cause or else face assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
. Worn and exhausted, she applied for asylum abroad. Her plight was recognized by UNHCR who granted her political asylum in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Since her move to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, she has recorded several notable albums. She also lead the music group Kaboul Ensemble in 2003 in the World Music Awards by BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Awards
- Janis Joplin Award.
- Golden Voice Award.
- World Music Award in 2003, by BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Winner in the Asia Category, within the Kaboul Ensemble