I told him that listen my bird you don't belong to your family you belong to all of it

you're Afghanistan sweetheart They call him Afghanistan's Elvis, Ahmed Zahir,

Superstar, innovator and folk hero.

Mm, I can't remember times without him actually. In his brief but dazzling career he recorded hundreds of songs he recorded hundreds of songs played countless concerts and captured the heart of Afghanistan. of Ahmad Zahair was present in our car,

Ahmad Zaya was present in our dormitory room,

Ahmad Zaya was present everywhere.

He always has been a soundtrack to my life.

He died in violent and contested circumstances 40 years ago,

more years than he lived.

But this is still the voice on the radio,

spilling out of taxis and mobile phones.

You can hear him in every corner of the world

where Afghans have made their lives, and that means pretty much everywhere.

Songs that cling and bind over distance and over time.

I'm Monica Whitlock and we're remembering Ahmed Zah here. Elvis, yes, but not really. He was much, much more.

Nafruh.

Nafruh. So my family emigrated out of Afghanistan in 1980. I was only eight months old so I've grown

up in a very close-knit community in Southern California.

Every time Ahmed Zaire's music would pop up in our home,

it was a tie to a story.

And I always longed to learn more about Afghanistan.

I always long to learn more about this place that my parents were so devastated to leave

...