Since the announced troop withdrawal by Obama, Taliban's forces have increased their aggression and boldness. They are getting closer and closer to approaching Kabul, and many analysts believe that the troop withdrawal does not reflect what is actually happening on the ground.
This is what the Taliban always do, though. They try to scare the public and officials as much as they can, because their numbers are not much. Their true power is fear and making people believe that they are powerful.
Ustad Mohammad Sarahang (1924-1983) is considered to be the greatest eastern classical singer ever to come from Afghanistan. In musical competitions, he outshone even the most respected masters singers from India. Though not respected much in his home country in his life, he was recognized by Indian and Pakistani masters of music to be an unbelievable artist. Now that his passing as been counted in the decades, he is known as a legendary and unreachable classical musician whose recordings carry the pride of Afghanistan.
Studying in India with Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan, a legendary musician in his own right, Sarahang developed a unique style combining Indian and Afghani influences in a wonderful mixture. Besides this unusual combination of styles, Ustad Sarahang was a lover of the poetry of Bedil, a great Sufi poet (1642-1720) who had not been in the literary spotlight often due to his extremely complex verses. Using Bedil's esoteric poetry and his outstanding training as a singer, Ustad Sarahang has enchanted all of Afghanistan and the whole world with his music till this day with his magnificent recordings:
