This show was wonderful. I was moved to tears when I heard how the Afgan people were so passionate about music. It's amazing how much joy and hope music gives to people. This topic is very dear to me and it made me so happy to hear this show. I love it. Thank you !

GREAT SHOW. Thanks - This was wonderful to hear and even better to see! Great work! I didn't expect it, but suddenly I found myself emotionally happy.

Great show!

What goes around, comes around.

But, it is "Johns Hopkins"

Cheers!

Ahmad zahir talent was beyond words. He is the only singer whose songs even today after 50 years is loved by all generations in Afghanistan. He is still considered the king of Afghan music.
We call him the voice of golden ages and he still remains the best singer for the new generation of Afghanistan. He is an inspirational figure for all singers of Afghanistan today.

What an amazing episode. I have been a listener of Radio Lab for a long time, but as an Afghan-America, this just warmed my heart. Had to send the link to friends.
One thing,though:
You could not learn how to pronounce his name? Really?
Yes, it is written with an "i", but it is pronounced Zaher, as Najib, Ahmad Zaher's wife, and the other two Afghans said it.
The clip in Mazar-e Sharif was amazing. Who'd have thought?
Thanks.

It's amazing how people can come together to listen to music.
So many cool stories about music traveling around the globe.
Thanks!

In 1992, while spending the night in a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, I followed the sound of music to a hotel lounge. Every person in there was a black Kenyan, including the two musicians, who were performing American country music, and the crowd knew all the words. Being half black and from California, I found the experience incredibly surreal. Urban Kenyans, with all their tribal divisions, were united by the music of a foreign tribe: American white rural people.

In 2003 our family was traveling in India. My husband and I are amateur (very amateur) bluegrass musicians. We stayed with various families, and would sing and play for them. One universal favorite was a song called "Blue Ridge Cabin Home" by Flatt and Scruggs. I was mystified as to its popularity, until one host, an engineer who had lived in a village until the age of 12, said, "Play that one again about the Native Place." And then he went on waxing eloquent about the country and crops coming up etc. At that moment I got it! India today is going through the same dislocation that the US was experiencing when bluegrass became popular. It was interesting to hear this same idea on your great show. Thanks.

It is distressing that the interviews with Zahir's wife has been removed from the internet. They were the most interesting and revealing parts of the video. Seems the the leftst's pro-communist view still prevails

loved this story!!!!

Absolutely loved this story.
But I have news for you: that one song is neither Elvis, nor Ahmad - it's Freddy Quinn and he was a maritime German!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSYblBKZ75Y

Absolutely loved this story.
But I have news for you: that one song is neither Elvis, nor Ahmad - it's Freddy Quinn and he was a maritime German!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSYblBKZ75Y

El Bimbo was based off of Tanha Shudham Tanha, not the other way around. The piece sort of gives the impression that Zahir is ripping western artists off, which isn't true. Zahir's songs were original compositions.

This was such a beautiful segment, I was in tears at the end. You did with this exactly what I love Radiolab for, you take science, and relate in the most human ways. You're really able to express a shared humanity and it gets me every time!

Wonderful!

that link for "Those Were the Days My Friend" seems to be dead. Great show by the way!

Thank you RadioLab for another awesome show!
The last piece was especially moving...

What a great story! The first thing that popped into my head when hearing of the day of his death was that for Afghanistan, it was truly the day the music died.

This show brought me to tears! How beautiful and tragic!
The absolute beauty of the connections created by music. What a lovely show!

By some sort of strange accident I read the Jorge Borges short story The Zahir a few hours before I listened to this podcast, not suspecting any connection. Try it yourself,
http://southerncrossreview.org/66/borges-zahir.htm

It might be noted that 'Those Were the Days My Friend' is really an english cover of the Russian song 'Dorogoi dlinnoyu', and so it should be much closer, musically and geographically, to Afghanistan than it is to the west.

Great show!

You guys make incredible shows, and this one was no exception. I love you! :)

I THINK AHMAD ZAHAIR WAS A GREAT PERSONILITY AND I LOVE HIM UP TO NOW AND I APPRECIATE HIM NOW AFTER 30 YEAR WHICH IN THAT CONDITION HE MADE LIKE THIS SONGS WHICH WE CANNOT MAKE IT TO DAY

Loved this segment! So wonderful to hear about simple things that we all share, anywhere in the world. The things that make us truly human. Music, imagination, humor, love. These are the things that make us great and its wonderful to have it illustrated so deftly. Thanks for playing for all of us and sharing yourself with them and us.

This was a great radio show..... written and produced with great skill. I enjoyed it very much.....good to hear that outstanding radio is still alive and well! Thanks so much.

This was a great show. Radio can be magic. I was specially moved by the story of the late Afghan singer. In my country we also had a fabulous artist called Victor Jara who was killed because of his ideas and lyrics during Pinochet's dictatorship.
By the way, Kenya is in East Africa.

What an interesting show.
My whole life I've experienced extremely lucid music in my head. I always thought it was quite normal which I think it may be. I manage it by having music or radio shows like this one on at all times. When things are silent I feel very uncomfortable. I remember growing up, being tormented by the last song I heard before I left to go to school until I came home and was able to replace it with a new one when I listened to my stereo.

One thing I wonder, is now that they've isolated a gene that expresses musical ability, are people with this gene over represented with this earworm?

i loved this piece.
a funny thing about the "those were the days" song that you don't mention is that the tune's originally from a russian folk song. adds another strange layer to the afghans recognition and love of the tune! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lc1fR30EPY

I love this show. I look forward to listening to it whenever a new episode is available. I was listening to this piece while I was working and the last piece about Johnny Cash in Afghanistan had me laughing out loud, I am a mailman, so the people on the street probably thought I was a little crazy, but it's Johnny Cash, so it's ok.

I liked the idea of the sense of longing tied to country music. It makes sense that Jimmie Rogers sang about railroads, the Carter Family, Hank Williams and even Woody Guthrie came out of the 30's. One could argue that it was chance, and the invention of the record. But a more compelling argument would be the migrations due to the Great Depression. Also, that would explain why alot of my Myspace musical groups are European rockabilly groups. I have often wondered what the appeal of the hillbilly twang was to Italian, Spanish and even Finnish groups.

Thanks for another great show. So hurry up with the next one already :)

As an American living abroad in Japan, the piece on the inherent longing in American Country music really hit home (no pun intended). I always listen to the Radiolab podcast while running, and when Daniel Lanois' Panorama entered my consciousness I had to stop for a moment because tears had literally overtaken me. I called Mom and Dad the instant I got back to my apartment.

A million thank-yous for yet another intellectually and emotionally stimulating show.

Great show. It took me two hours to get Johnny Cash out of my head, including the accordian.

I overheard a coworker talking today, and she used the word accordian. BAM! The song was right back where it started.

Your story really grabbed me. Now I'll look for some music by Ahmad Zahair. I also liked your poem (with the link to a song) about the skinny guy who lost the money. Thank you.

This was an awesome piece. It brought tears to my eyes. Very moving. I was born in afghanistan around the same time Ahmad Zahir was assisinated. We came to the US in the mid 80's and I grew up listening to his music along side american music. Everytime i listen to his music it takes me back home.

I did have one concern about Greg's report. As for his comment about Music not being there after the Soviet invasion, until the US invasion. Is a bit exagerated. The US did not some how miraculously bring back Music...just the sound of bombs!

I grew up in Afghanistan listening to Ahmad Zahair's songs. I left the country in 1978. As a fan (almost worshipper) of this extremely talented afghan musician I was devastated when I heard of his death. Listening to your interview with Greg was a surreal experience. I particularly enjoyed Greg's interview clips with Ahmad Zahair's wife. I knew of their little girl's name, Shabnum, which means morning dew but, I had no idea that she was born in the same day that her father had passed.

beauteous!

Among the countries mentioned on your show as places where country music is popular was Keenya. Excuse my ignorance but, where is that exactly?

Among the countries mentioned on your show as places where country music is popular was some place called Keenya. Excuse my ignorance but, where is that exactly?

I listened to the show in the car today and absolutely loved this piece. Decades without music - I cannot imagine the deprivation. Great job, Greg ... you never know when that accordian will come in handy.

From earworms to a 94-yr old psychotherapist to "A Ring of Fire" played on accordian by an American in front of 300 Afghanis... wow. And that's just in ONE show. I'm hooked.

Your show really touched me deeply. While listening to your show, the world suddenly became a very small and comforting place. Your piece on the wide spread appeal of American country music around the world reminded me that our similarities as human beings far out weigh our differences. Thank you!

As a not very big Johnny Cash fan who has never been to Iran, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this clip!

As a life-long Johnny Cash fan who recently spent several years in Iran, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this show!

I used to love listening to Johhny Cash with the Call to Prayer in the background. Many of my Iranian friends have come to love his music as much as I do. He is truly the American Shahjarian. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFiZEl_jQLw) (Don't ask me to explain that though)