METAL IN AFGHANISTAN
Join us Wednesday, September 1st at 9pm BST / 4pm EDT for a live discussion on the rapidly unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We’ll be joined by Afghan musicians Yousef Shah and Sulleiman Omar of post-metal duo Afreet, plus RocKabul filmmaker Travis Beard. We will be discussing the history of rock and metal in Afghanistan, and the implications of the current situation there.
Formerly the lead singer for groundbreaking Afghan heavy metal band District Unknown, Yousef Shah (aka Khalia/Bhooda) has been the face of the Afghan metal scene for most of his professional career. Continuing on the path he began with District Unknown in 2012, Yousef brings an impassioned artistry and aggressive tone to the dark and moody stories of Afreet. Along with his former bandmates, Yousef was the recipient of Metal Hammer’s Global Metal award (presented by Travis Beard) at the 2015 Golden Gods Awards. Having personally faced persecution and imprisonment in Afghanistan for his involvement in the metal scene, Yousef’s dedication to heavy metal has been a breath of fresh air in a region polarised by conflict.
Afghan-American singer-songwriter Sulleiman Omar joined District Unknown in Kabul in 2012. Omar’s creativity made an immediate impact on the band, culminating in the release of their first full length album and single 64 which was featured in Loudwire’s feature on 10 Awesome Metal Bands From Surprising Countries. Omar’s signature styles are also apparent throughout Afreet’s music.
Afreet released a debut self-titled EP in 2019 which was followed by the EP Until The End of Time in 2020. They are planning to release new music on September 3rd. All proceeds from the single My Land is Breaking will go to a variety of charities to help and support people in Afghanistan.
Australian filmmaker Travis Beard is a multi-directional artist working in a range of disciplines across music, film photography and festivals. His thought-provoking work encourages audiences to consider the world and their viewpoint from alternative perspectives. Working and living globally, Travis spent 10 years as a freelance photojournalist, first visiting Afghanistan in 2001 where he immersed himself in the culture. In 2006 he moved to Kabul permanently where he taught at the country’s first media school Aina. Travis went on to co-found a skateboard school depicted in Skateistan, which won an Oscar for best short documentary in 2019. His company Argus also co-founded Wallords, a street art school and Afghanistan’s first contemporary arts and music festival, Sound Central Festival. His multiple award-winning 2018 feature documentary RocKabul focused on the Afghanistan music scene, told through the viewpoint of District Unknown.
We’ll be live at 9pm BST/4pm EDT here.