Mahwash
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| استاد مهوش Ustad Mahwash |
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 Ustad Mahwash on an Album Cover
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Farida Mahwash (فریده مهوش) | |
| Born |  Afghanistan |
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| Genre(s) | Pop Classical Music Ghazals |
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| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Years active | 1970–present | |
| Label(s) | Various | |
Mahwash (born Farida Mahwah, Persian: فریده مهوش ) commonly referred to as Ustad Mahwash (Persian: استاد مهوش) is a popular Afghan singer. She is the first and the only woman (as of 2006) to have been conferred the honorary tile of “Ustad” (meaning Master in Persian and Maestra in Italian/English). She currently lives an exile in California, USA; however, she occasionally does tour other countries for performances.
[edit] Biography
Farida Mahwash’s was born to a conservative family in Afghanistan. Her mother was teacher of Quran and therefore religion influenced her upbringing. Her interest in music, because of this factor, was suppressed for years as the Afghan society of that time looked upon female singers and musicians with contempt. Upon completion of her studies, Farida accepted a position in the Kabul Radio Station. 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.
So Farida took music and singing lessons under the scholarship of Ustad Mohammad Hashem. He was an established maestro and put the protégé to rigorous training. Most of the lessons were based on classical Indian music that serve to train most Afghan singers up until today. In 1977, Farida was conferred the title of Maestra by the Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan, an controversial honor that had up until this point been reserved only for men. After this time, she also released her first album which was well received by the intrigued public who were eager to discover the new music master themselves.
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 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. Worn and exhausted, she applied for asylum abroad. Her plight was recognized by UNHCR who granted her political asylum in the United States.
Since her move to the USA, she has recorded several notable albums.
[edit] Awards
- Janis Joplin Award.
- Golden Voice Award.
[edit] References
- The Austin Chronicle. Ustad Farida Mahwash. David Lynch. February 25, 2005.
- WOMEX 2002. Interview d'Ustad Farida Mahwash. Video Interview. Propos recueillis par Benjamin Minimum. Fés juin 2002.
- http://www.monodix.com/
- Webcast exclusif du Womex, du 24 au 27 octobre 2002.
- http://www.monodix.com/
- The Guardian. Ustad Mahwash. March 11, 2002.
- www.afghanland.com Ustad Mahwash. Copyright current.
