Najeeb Ullah, 22 years old: “I did not learn playing Tambura [Afghan instrument] and singing from any teacher. It is inherited. My forefathers instilled the love and passion for music in me.

When I was six, I started playing Tambura. It is my hobby as well as a source of income. I play music in wedding parties and earn a living for my family. Growing up as a child, I saw my elder brother playing music and I just learned by observing his play.

Very frequently practiced playing various instruments. With time, I got used to the Tambura, piano and singing. Pakistani folk singers Nusrat Fati Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali are my favorite. My dream is to become a famous musician. I want the whole world to know me. I have studied till 12th grade and am now teaching at one of the schools in Quetta. It is my strong aspiration to get a university degree.”

One of the group members of Najeeb Ullah beating Tabla (a local form of drum) from the core of his heart. Quetta, Pakistan © UNHCR/Q.K.Afridi/2015

Najeeb Ullah playing Tambura (Afghan musical instrument) and singing a moving song about the plight of Afghans and the situation in Afghanistan for the last many decades. Najeeb Ullah loves music as this is his hobby and a source of income. Quetta, Pakistan © UNHCR/Q.K.Afridi/2015

Fellow musicians of Najeeb Ullah playing guitar and other traditional musical instruments. Quetta, Pakistan © UNHCR/Q.K.Afridi/2015

Najeeb Ullah was born and raised in Pakistan’s Quetta city. His family fled Afghanistan as soon as the war broke out back in early 80s. One of his uncles was killed in the shelling of their village. Najeeb Ullah’s forefathers were also musicians who came to Afghanistan from Turkmenistan in the early 19th century. Najeeb Ullah has many fans and followers in Quetta and they often invite him to perform in their wedding parties.

Najeeb visited his family’s town Jowzjan in Afghanistan only once but felt as if he was a stranger there. Despite his desire to return to Afghanistan, Najeeb cannot do so because of the deteriorating security situation back home. He wants peace in Afghanistan. He often sings a moving song:

“What will we gain from murder and killing? What will we gain from destroying this roof and door? If this nation sinks into debris and blood. Tell me in brief what will we gain from it? We kill the father and martyr the beloved son. What will we gain from the outcry? Let’s be together and stand by each other. What will we gain if we close our hearts towards the loved ones?”

by Qaiser Khan Afridi, Quetta, Pakistan

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