Ustad Farida Mahwash ; is an Afghan singer and voice of Afghanistan.
11 Facts About Mahwash
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Mahwash was the first woman to have been conferred the honorary title of "Ustad" in 1977.
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Ustad Farida Mahwash is the "voice of Afghanistan," and one of the most beloved singers in the entire Central Asian region.
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Mahwash's mother was a Quran teacher, who recited with a beautiful voice, an early inspiration to the young girl.
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Mahwash then took music and singing lessons under the tutelage of Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti.
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Mahwash went on to study with the renowned Afghan singer Ustad Hussain Khan Sarahang, who guided her through her meteoric rise as a radio star.
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Mahwash was granted political asylum in the United States in October 1991.
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In 2001, Mahwash reunited with other exiled musicians to form and lead the ensemble Kabul.
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Later that year, Mahwash received a prestigious BBC Radio 3 World Music Award both for her artistic excellence and for her work in speaking on behalf of thousands of orphaned Afghan children.
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Mahwash has built her career in the face of two wars and under a forced state of isolation from her homeland.
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In 2012 Mahwash became a member of the group Voices of Afghanistan, an Afghan ensemble featuring Mahwash on vocals, rubab master Homayoun Sakhi, and The Sakhi Ensemble.