Description

Farhad Darya is a singer and songwriter who has been famous since the mid-1980s. He also campaigns for peace and children's rights.<p> As the founder of Goroh-e-Baran (The Rain Group), he redefined Afghan music and inspired a new generation of artists. Baran became one of the most popular Afghan bands of its era. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, Darya's anthem, "Kabul Jan" (Beloved Kabul), was broadcast by Radio Afghanistan, symbolically breaking five years of silence under the regime. In 2004, he gave a historic concert at Kabul Stadium—the same venue once used for public executions under the Taliban—which was later hailed by Songlines magazine as "one of the 50 greatest moments in world music history." International media have since dubbed him "the Afghan Elvis" and "the voice of the Afghan nation."<br> During his career, he released 34 albums and dozens of singles, and performed in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.<br> Beyond music, Darya has dedicated himself to defending human rights globally. He has served as a goodwill ambassador for several organizations, including UNDP (2008), UNODC (2010), ASACR for HIV/AIDS (2018), Save the Children International (2015-2019), as well as for several Afghan government initiatives in health, investment, and social development. In 2006, he founded KOCHAH (Street), a non-profit organization that supports street children by providing them with food and education, for which he received the Human Rights Award. Darya's contributions have been recognized with numerous international accolades, including Ambassador for Peace (Universal Peace Federation), Hero of Peace (Peace Museum, Austria), Personality of the Year (Radio Free Europe), and numerous music awards such as the Legend Award, the Gold Award, and the Music Legend.</p>