Presented by South Asia Institute with Old Town School of Folk Music and funded through Doris Duke Foundation

An in-depth view of Afghan culture through music, poetry, art and cultural heritage.

South Asia Institute Presents

HEART OF AFGHANISTAN X QAIS ESSAR

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Seated | FREE!

The Heart of Afghanistan features four brilliant Afghan musicians: famed singer and Afghan TV star Ahmad Fanoos on vocals & harmonium, his sons Elham Fanoos on piano and Mehran Fanoos on violin, and Hamid Habibzada on tabla. Unable to perform inside Afghanistan today, the group carries the flame of Afghanistan's rich and complex musical heritage, from its early history to the modern era. Included in the program will be traditional ghazals based on the Sufi-inspired poetry of Rumi (who was born in Afghanistan), Afghan folk music, and the iconic hits of legendary singer Ahmad Zahir.

Qais Essar

Qais Essar is an Afghan-American musician, based in Phoenix, Arizona. A rabab player and songwriter, he is most noted for the song "The Crown Sleeps" from the film The Breadwinner, which won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018. He co-wrote the song with Joshua Hill, a bandmate in the now defunct band Qosmonauts.