I spent 5 weeks in Kabul Afghanistan in May and June 2002 working with a project to promote the LOYA JIRGA Afghanistans transitional government.
We recorded almost 100 short form dramas and vox pop - public opinion - features which were broadcast by BBC World Service, Voice Of America and Radio Afghanistan.
The sound you can hear on this page is one of the vox pop features we made in which people talk of their hopes and wishes for the future.
To turn these interviews into attractive radio we needed backing music and a theme tune but no local music was available. So........ I sampled a few seconds of tabla from a SERBIAN folk song. We then found a WONDERFUL Afghan musician called MASHEEM.and took him to the bedroom of my guesthouse in Kabul, gave him some headphones and he played his SARANDA along to the rhythm of the Serbian tablas. We recorded the music in one take! I dont think he had ever seen a computer before!!
Friendly natives in GARDEZ.....
Multilingual Afghan fanatic Bob Dylan lovin cool colleague John Butt collecting Public opinion.....
Radio Afghanistan.....
Actors recording drama in Radio Afghanistan
DESTRUCTION.....
More destruction..... The remains of a bus station
Kabul Museum..... only the shell of the building remains.......
A grave in the mountains..... Just one of thousands
Whats left of the presidential palace
