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Ahmad Zahir is most commonly known as the ‘Afghan Elvis’ and his round face, short slicked-back hair and snarled lip will certainly convince you that he was. He was critical of the Afghani government and a great number of his recordings were destroyed. The Taliban loathed him and desecrated his grave in 1996 in order to symbolise their hatred for music. He was an accomplished accordionist and learned the harmonium in India. Ahmad Zahir liked to drink, he drove women wild and he sang of pain, of love and of God. He was assassinated on the day of his 33rd birthday, June 14, 1979.
Bronwen Robertson
