Keeping Hazara tradition alive
Hamid has a large fan base in Afghanistan and abroad. He has represented Afghanistan in the 2012 ABU Annual Song Contest, the Asian version of Eurovision Song Contest, and he came second in Afghan Star, the equivalent to Idol song contest. He has performed in several countries, as well as having produced three albums. But the Hazara-people is a minority in Afghanistan, and Hamid’s tireless efforts to preserve the tradition has cost him dearly. In Afghanistan he was subject to a steady campaign of threats and violent harassment from groups who oppose the minority Hazara culture, as well as from religious traditionalists. When two of his students were kidnapped and tortured by the Taliban, one of them subsequently killed, the situation became unbearable. More harassment and violent assaults followed, and in 2016 Hamid was forced to flee the country. Through ICORN and SafeMUSE he became a guest artist in the city Harstad, Norway, where he still lives and continues to perform his music openly.
For many years, the Hazara people saw their culture and art being mocked and suppressed, causing their music to slowly fade away. This album is an attempt to bring old traditions alive through new collaborations, interpretations and expressions.
With help from an all-star team of musicians, Afghan dambora virtuous Hamid Sakhizada brings the Hazara tradition into the 21st century.
Dai Raft is released on LIDIO – a record label dedicated to releasing music from persecuted artists. LIDIO is run by the organization SafeMUSE, and is a sub label to Grappa, Norway’s largest independent record label.
