Ahmad Wali began his career in the 1970s, becoming popular in his native country before he was forced to flee by political upheaval in Afghanistan.
12 Facts About Ahmad Wali
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Ahmad Wali continued his work after resettling in Germany, performing throughout Europe and North America.
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Ahmad Wali was born in Kabul to an ethnic Pashtun family belonging to the Mohammadzai tribe.
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Ahmad Wali's father, Mohammad Akram Nawabi, was a former police commander who served in various provinces across Afghanistan.
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Ahmad Wali began exploring music as a Tabla player at the age of 12, gradually expanding into singing.
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At the early stages of his career, Ahmad Wali had not yet committed to life as a professional musician, and enrolled in the Kabul Police Academy.
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Ahmad Wali continued performing and soon committed to a career in music, being taken as a student by Ustad Zaland.
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Ahmad Wali developed a following throughout Afghanistan, with frequent appearances on national television and radio programs, as well as live performances.
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Ahmad Wali's forged passport got him as far as India, where he obtained a visa to Germany by faking an illness.
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In 1987, Ahmad Wali performed a series of benefit concerts with Abdullah Atemadi and Ensemble in New York, California, and Virginia.
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On 18 August 2005, Ahmad Wali performed at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington DC, to celebrate and honor Afghanistan's National Independence Day.
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On October 19th, 2024, Ahmad Wali received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the 3rd Annual Tuti Gala at San Jose Civic in San Jose, California.