Sporting a black quiff and sideburns, Ahmad Zahir sang of love and heartbreak in liberal 1970s Kabul — a city now plagued by war and suffering, but where the popularity of Afghanistan's "Elvis" ...

Wherever you go in Afghanistan, he said, “if there is music, there’ll definitely be one Ahmad Zahir song playing”. Former DJ Zubair Rezaee, 27, described Zahir as “evergreen”.

Ahmad Zahir, who reigned as the king of Afghan music, died under mysterious circumstances in 1979 as his country was descending into war.

A new documentary celebrates Ahmad Zahir, the ‘60s and ‘70s icon who mysteriously died in 1979. Arwa Haider finds out how Zahir combined popularity with protest.

The popularity of Ahmad Zahir, often known as Afghanistan’s Elvis, persists decades after his death Sporting a black quiff and sideburns, Ahmad Zahir sang of love and heartbreak in liberal 1970s Kabul ...

Ahmad Zahir with his dark shock of hair, sultry voice and overwhelming stage presence more than earned the nickname "The Afghan Elvis" but he was so much more. He remains Afghanistan’s most ...

“Ahmad Zahir’s music is different. His songs and lyrics have significance,” she told RFERL’s Gandhara website. “These days, some of the songs [by new singers] are not listenable.” Hussam is a ...

Over the next 15 years Ahmad Zahir was without rival in Afghanistan, racking up hit after hit across the country. He sang mainly in Dari but recorded in Pashto, Hindi, Urdu and English.

A new documentary celebrates Ahmad Zahir, the ‘60s and ‘70s icon who mysteriously died in 1979. Arwa Haider finds out how Zahir combined popularity with protest.