NOTD: Afghanistan 1.7.10

If you are not aware...
"The Travel Security Administration says air travel to the United States through "state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest" will trigger enhanced screening. A senior government official says 14 countries fall under that label." <via cnn.com>

Afghanistan
Algeria
Cuba
Iran
Iraq
Lebanon
Libya
Nigeria
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
Somalia
Yemen

Put aside your political leaning for a minute. This piece of news creates a quite startling dichotomy, a dichotomy that juxtaposes a global cultural community (for the most part as a result of the internet) with a world, that at the same time, is becoming more fragmented--a puzzling dilemma indeed. Now begins a new two week Muzjiks series. This is a series that, each day, will look at a piece of music from one of the countries on the TSA's "countries of interest" list. Think of this a kind of cultural cliff notes. Though brief, NOTD (Nation) will at least provide you with something tangible and familiar...an mp3. Expand your mind and impress your friends--it's a big, big world.

Afghan King Zahir Shah with JFK

Afghanistan.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South-Central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East. It is bordered by Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south and east, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast. <via Wiki, this is a blog not a research paper>
2009 EST Population: 28,150,000
Major Crop Exports: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins

Music.
Today's selection comes via a live public concert in the winter of 1974. Performing this November evening was renowned rabab player, Ustad Mohammad Omar, accompanied on tabla by Zakiir Hussain. The concert was part of Mohammad Omar's teaching tenure at the University of Washington as the first Afghan music professor to teach at a major US university--serious shit indeed. This improvisational excercise is headphone worthy, Zakiir Hussain's hand strike is piercing and impressive. This is far away stuff but it might be closer than you think.


Ustad Mohammad Omar: "Tabla Solo In the Rhythmic Cycle of Jhaptal (10-beat Cycle)"
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Radiohead: "Packt Like Sardines In A Crushed Tin Box"
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