"Khuda Bowad Yaret"
"Khuda Bowad Yaret" (may God protect you), a favorite of Ahmad Zahir's songs and one of the only to be given music video treatment, is still relevant today.
The song uses tabla (drums similar to bongoes), accordion and sitar common instruments among Zahir's music library. Zahir's music was simple musically and complex lyrically, similar to many contemporary Afghan artists. However, music during the 1970s in Afghanistan was divided between classes. Music with lyrics rooted in poetry and instrumental subtleties was made specifically for educated classes while those with little education listened to completely different artists.
What made Zahir revolutionary was his ability to abolish the musical class divide and make music palatable for everyone in Afghanistan no matter their educational background or socioeconomic status. One reason for "Khoda Bowad Yaret's" popularity was its explicit connection with Islam, one of many common threads among Afghans. The chorus's lyrics "Khuda bowad yaret/ Qu'ran nega daaret" means "May God protect you/ May the Qu'ran be your savior." Afghanistan is a majority Muslim country thus lyrics relating to their religion unites the entire population.
The theme of protection resonates with listeners, but the eeriness of the lyrics could also factor into the song's popularity. "Beya ke ma oh tu yaakjah besheenem/ Ke marge bekhabar darah judayee." translates to "Come and sit with me/ Since we could be separated by unexpected death." Zahir's own unexpected death give these lyrics deeper meaning.
Zahir diedin a car crash when he was 33, at the height of his career. The circumstances of his death are still currently questioned because of his superstar status and counter-government views. This context gives a foreboding quality to the song as a whole since it wishes for protection sung from a man who did not receive any.
The song uses tabla (drums similar to bongoes), accordion and sitar common instruments among Zahir's music library. Zahir's music was simple musically and complex lyrically, similar to many contemporary Afghan artists. However, music during the 1970s in Afghanistan was divided between classes. Music with lyrics rooted in poetry and instrumental subtleties was made specifically for educated classes while those with little education listened to completely different artists.
What made Zahir revolutionary was his ability to abolish the musical class divide and make music palatable for everyone in Afghanistan no matter their educational background or socioeconomic status. One reason for "Khoda Bowad Yaret's" popularity was its explicit connection with Islam, one of many common threads among Afghans. The chorus's lyrics "Khuda bowad yaret/ Qu'ran nega daaret" means "May God protect you/ May the Qu'ran be your savior." Afghanistan is a majority Muslim country thus lyrics relating to their religion unites the entire population.
The theme of protection resonates with listeners, but the eeriness of the lyrics could also factor into the song's popularity. "Beya ke ma oh tu yaakjah besheenem/ Ke marge bekhabar darah judayee." translates to "Come and sit with me/ Since we could be separated by unexpected death." Zahir's own unexpected death give these lyrics deeper meaning.
Zahir diedin a car crash when he was 33, at the height of his career. The circumstances of his death are still currently questioned because of his superstar status and counter-government views. This context gives a foreboding quality to the song as a whole since it wishes for protection sung from a man who did not receive any.
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