Sound Central Festival - The Central Asian Modern Music Festival
Photography by David Gill
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| Country and Region | Afghanistan — Kabul |
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| Type of Festival | Music |
| Location of Festival | Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan and New York, New York, USA |
| Festival Contact Information | Travis Beard, Founder and Director |
| Festival Description | SOUND CENTRAL: The Central Asian Modern Music Festival. Sound Central is Afghanistan & Central Asia’s first regional rock music festival, as well as Afghanistan’s first rock festival since Ahmad Zahir’s show in 1975. It will be held in Kabul with opening and closing nights in New York. This is a critical time in the history of Afghanistan & Central Asia. Musicians and youth in the region are more empowered than ever before. But at the same time, the Taliban who banned recorded music when they controlled Afghanistan 1992-2001, as well as radicals from Iran to Uzbekistan, continue to threaten or harass musicians and modernists. Sound Central focuses on Central Asia, which includes Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Neighbors Pakistan and Iran are also included. Global participation has been encouraged with the spotlight focused on emerging talent from the Central Asian region. Global performers, advisors, and organizers come also from Argentina, Australia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, UK, and the USA. The New York events this fall will be fully publicized and we welcome your support! Any funds raised will go to supporting musician workshops and solidarity in Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Kabul events which include a workshop for musicians, side shows, and a main event, all in late September and early October, will be announced to the public by invitation only and in Kabul at the very last minute for security purposes (hence, the world’s first “stealth” music festival). |
| Festival Dates | April 2013 TBC |
| Festival Links | http://soundcentralfestival.com/ |
Festival Story:
Sound Central Festival, a global event based in Kabul was created as a way to build solidarity in a non-partisan, not even political but simply musical way, You will be joining supporters as wide and wonderful as: Kabul Dreams (Afghan), Ariana Delawari (Afghan/USA), The Dresden Dolls (USA), Blurred Vision (Canada), Acrassicauda (Iraq), Eklektika (Kazakhstan), Tears of the Sun (Uzbekistan), Poor Rich Boys (Pakistan), and Maral (Iran).
If you are a sponsor or donor, please let us know your interest! We would love to have organizations who would like to cross-promote or advertise in any ways compatible with our cause including music companies, travel, mountain sports, and so on. We have two feature documentaries covering us, global media, music blogs, and will have big exposure in New York, Central Asia, and Afghanistan. This is not your average rock music festival.
Contact us if you’d like to sponsor, donate, recommend a VIP supporter, or other questions at: SoundCentralFestival@gmail.com.
Festival Events:
Lineup 2012:
- Asian Dub Foundation — headliner
- and more to be named… to date, 53 other International bands from all over the world have expressed interest and applied to participate in this years’ festival. We have chosen 5, their genres range from rock to metal, dub to hip-hop and folk — including the participation of 8 Afghan based bands.
Other Sources:
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KadmusArts on Facebook:
- Like KadmusArts on Facebook — we are your gateway to interact with the global community of festival fans, artist and organizers. Please share your comments and experiences in regard to this festival at http://www.facebook.com/pages/KadmusArts/17962154811
Videos:
- Support SCF12: Afghanistan only Alternative Music Festival
http://www.indiegogo.com/scf12
Social networks:
Articles:
- Stealth festival to rock Kabul with musical explosion, by Emma Graham-Harrison (Reuters, September 30, 2011)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/30/us-afghanistan-rock-idUSTRE78T27720110930
Practical Info:
Venue 2012:
- IFA (Institute France Afghanistan)
Kabul, Afghanistan - Show presented 2 times per day (1:00pm – 4:00pm or 5:00pm – 8:00pm)
- Tickets
- $10 Full Price
- $1 Students/per day
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