AFGHANISTAN: Female rappers and international punk guitarists perform at a music festival celebrating Afghan and international music

Record ID: 289951

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: Female rappers and international punk guitarists perform at a music festival celebrating Afghan and international music
  • Date: 8th October 2012
  • Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (OCTOBER 3, 2012) (REUTERS) AFGHAN FEMALE RAPPERS PERFORMING IN THE SECOND SOUND CENTRAL FESTIVAL AT FRENCH CULTURAL CENTRE IN KABUL RAPPERS RAPPING AUDIENCE DANCING FEMALE RAPPER PERFORMING AUDIENCE DANCING VARIOUS OF RAPPER SUSAN FEROZ PERFORMING MAN IN AUDIENCE DANCING AUDIENCE IN FRONT OF STAGE DANCING FEET OF FEROZ/FEROZ RAPPING AUDIENCE A
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Afghanistan
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Arts
  • Reuters ID: LVABFYHZ8PQP2ZRD9WP1IVEUO7VA
  • Story Text: In a country where public performing is typically considered shameful and often un-Islamic, two Afghan female rappers took centre stage at the second annual Sound Central Festival in Kabul on Wednesday (October 3).
    The three-day "alternative music festival" was the brainchild of Travis Beard, an Australian photojournalist who joined a band when he moved to Kabul and was inspired by the talent and dedication of local musicians.
    The crowd of nearly 300 young Afghans danced, cheered and headbanged to the music.
    Moshtari Hilal, a 19-year-old Afghan performer who flew in from Germany, said she believed the festival would help work towards a new Afghanistan for the people.
    "There are all kinds of artists here, local Afghans, Afghans from the West. I think this festival is the start of a new Kabul and new Afghanistan, and it's important to help build that," she said.
    Rapper Susan Feroz said she gained inspiration from her country as well as the people of Afghanistan.
    "By rapping I want to express the pain of my family and the people who have migrated to other countries," she said.
    Ruth Owen, vocalist and bassist of a punk band called White City, said she was surprised at the turnout of female Afghan performers.
    "I'd never thought there would come a day where I'd see female rappers on stage, that I'd see female graffiti artists on TV and painting on the walls of Kabul and I would see female guitarists. I really didn't think the country would advance that much so quickly. I was wrong and I feel almost ashamed that I thought Afghan women weren't -- maybe not capable of that -- but they didn't have the bravery, boy was I wrong," she said.
    Afghanistan is a deeply conservative Muslim country where music was banned under the austere Taliban regime. Even music shops were attacked in some cities and musicians taunted for their clothes or hairstyle.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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