Mahwash
| Ustad Farida Mahwash | |
|---|---|
| Native name | استاد مهوش |
| Birth name | Farida Gulali Ayubi |
| Born | 1947 Karte chaar Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Genres |
Pop Classical Music Ghazals |
| Years active | 1970 to present |
| Labels | WorldHarmonyStudios-DEMUSIC Records |
| Website | voicesofafghanistan |
Ustad Farida Mahwash (born Farida Gulali Ayubi, Persian: فریده مهوش in 1947, Kabul, Afghanistan) commonly referred to as Ustad Mahwash (Afghan: استاد مهوش) is a singer and voice of Afghanistan. She was the first woman (as of 2013) to have been conferred the honorary title of "Ustad" (meaning Master or Maestra in Dari) in 1977. She currently lives in Fremont, California, US; and tours the world with her latest all star ensemble Voices of Afghanistan.
Ustad Farida Mahwash is the "voice of Afghanistan," and one of the most beloved singers in the entire Central Asian region. Her robust, luminous voice with itssubtle command of ornamentation has dazzled audiences worldwide, as she shares hercountry's rich musical heritage through performances and recordings.
Farida Gulali Ayubi was born into a conservative Afghan family. Her mother was a Quran teacher, who recited with a beautiful voice, an early inspiration to the young girl. But religion loomed large in the family, and formany years, her interest in music was suppressed. Upon completing her studies,Farida was recruited to sing for Kabul Radio. The station's director, UstadKhayal, encouraged her to pursue singing as a career. It was Ustad Khayal who gave Farida her enduring stage name, Mahwash, which means "like the moon."Mahwash's robust and mellifluous voice, and her command of the subtle art of ornamentation, has gone on to dazzle audiences worldwide, as she shares her country's rich musical heritage through performances and recordings.
Mahwash then took music and singing lessons under the tutelage of Ustad Mohammad Hashim Chishti. An established maestro, Chishti quickly launched his protégé on a rigorous training regime. Most of his lessons, which are based on North Indian classical music,are still used today to train Afghan singers. Mahwash went on to study with the renowned Afghan singer Ustad Hussain Khan Sarahang, who guided her through hermeteoric rise as a radio star. Another master composer, Ustad Shahwali, created many songs for her to sing on the radio. One of the best known was "O Bacha (Oh Boy)," which brings together half a dozen regional songs in one extended modern song cycle. When Mahwash learned this complex piece and recorded it in a single day, she was given the title of Ustad—or "master" in 1977—a controversial move as, until that point, this was an honour reserved only for men. After the political turmoil of late 1970s and '80s, Ustad Mahwash was forced to leave Afghanistan.
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Wikipedia