Aryana Sayeed, 36, is one of Afghanistan’s most famous pop stars; before the Taliban rule, she had performed under the shadow of death threats. Often dubbed as Afghanistan’s Kim Kardashian, Sayeed is the most followed Afghan artiste on social media today.
Sayeed became a household name in 2011 with the release of her single ‘Afghan Pesarak’, and has ever since received multiple awards, including Voice of Afghanistan.
Sayeed wears multiple hats, as a TV host and a fashion maven. In July, she launched her own Kabul-made clothing brand with a full red-carpet rollout, powered by a $1,00,000 factory to produce contemporary designs sewn by Afghan women. Little did she know it would all come to naught in a matter of days with the Taliban takeover of the capital on August 15.
Just days after a dramatic escape from Kabul airport, Sayeed talked to THE WEEK. Excerpts:
Q/ You were in Kabul to launch your own clothing brand, with modern designs for Afghan women. How important was this project to you?
A/ It had been a dream of mine for many years to launch my own clothing brand, as my style of clothing and fashion have been mimicked by my lovely Afghans for almost 10 years now. I spent all my life savings on launching the brand, and on opening a beautiful and modern store. Except for some major security concerns, I did not really encounter much in the form of opposition. The people of Kabul, including women, had become very modern and mostly up to date with fashion, and they were supportive of this idea.
Q/ You had a dramatic escape out of Kabul, the day after the Taliban laid siege on the city. You waded through multiple Taliban checkpoints to get to the airport. Can you describe the experience?
A/ I was indeed imagining consequences of what would happen if I were caught, and that drained me emotionally and physically. It all happened so quickly that it caught thousands of people, who had the opportunity to depart earlier, by surprise. Going through the Taliban checkpoints was nerve-wracking and scary. On August 16, we were finally able to escape. Our attempt to take a commercial flight out on August 15 had failed, when multiple flights were cancelled due to the Taliban takeover of Kabul and people rushing into Kabul airport that was left without any security or staff.
Q/ You have braved multiple threats from conservative Afghans to perform in Kabul, even before the Taliban came back.
A/ In Afghanistan, despite all the progress made over the years, we are still a society that is very much full of extreme-minded and backward-thinking individuals. Every time I have performed in Afghanistan, I have had to face opposition, especially from mullahs [Islamic priests]. Despite that, on multiple occasions I have managed to successfully perform and this has empowered Afghani women in a major way, and it has also opened many doors for them.
Q/ How do you feel your music career will change from here on? What direction do you see it taking, now that you might not be able to perform in Kabul anytime soon?
A/ The only thing that would change with my music career is that, sadly and heartbreakingly, I will not be physically with my beautiful people in Afghanistan any more. For many years now, I have indeed been earning my basic income from concerts all around the world; whenever I have gone to Afghanistan, I have actually spent out of my pocket rather than in.
While all the concerts I performed inside Afghanistan for many years were mostly complimentary, the only source of income for me from Afghanistan was being a judge on the talent shows such as TheVoice, Afghan Star, Afghan Superstar, etc. For now, I will continue empowering the women of Afghanistan through my songs and lyrics, and continue entertaining the overall population there with my music. I do hope and pray the day will come back when I can go back to Afghanistan again, be with our lovely people and show them some love and affection.
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Q/ Which was your last concert in Afghanistan? Did you think then that it would be your last one there?
A/ My last concert in Kabul was during the opening ceremony of Afghanistan’s Cricket League, where I performed inside the cricket stadium in Kabul and it was broadcast live on Afghanistan’s national TV [RTA]. I honestly never thought that that particular concert would be my last one in Afghanistan. I do hope peace and normality resumes there soon so I that can go back and perform for my poor and miserable people.
Q/ You have said India is Afghanistan’s true friend. How can India help Afghanistan at this point?
A/ India has indeed been the one and only true friend to Afghanistan when it comes to our neighbourhood. For many years now, India has invested in many rebuilding projects inside Afghanistan. Indians have treated Afghans with love and affection inside Afghanistan and even in India.
India can urge the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to stop funding and supporting terrorists, including the Taliban. India has a major voice in the international community and should use that against Pakistan, and their unethical and inhumane treatment of Afghanistan.
Q/ You surely have fellow artists and musicians stuck in Afghanistan.
A/ Since the Taliban takeover and since getting out of Afghanistan ourselves, my fiancé [Hasib Sayed] and I have been bombarded with calls and emails from artists and musicians stuck in Afghanistan. While I still have not physically and mentally settled down yet, I continue to try being their voice in the international media. Once we are back home in Istanbul, we will try to figure out some ways of assisting them.