Please join us for an evening of 'Afghanistan in Melody' with award-winning singer and composer Elaha Soroor, talented tabla player Sulaiman Haqpana, and special guest (to be announced.). Not to be missed!
About Elaha Soroor
Elaha Soroor is an award winning singer/ songwriter and composer based in London, originally from Afghanistan. Elaha started her musical experience as a devotional singer in a female music group in Iran, where she first learned about middle eastern traditional music. Following that experience, she began to study Afghan traditional music in Kabul, Afghanistan. During this period she was part of the Afghanistan National Orchestra during 2006-2008, as well as a singer in the Aryan band (Kabul, Afghanistan), playing in various concerts in major cities in Afghanistan.
Elaha was one of the first female musicians to perform in public after the fall of Taliban. Her early releases were influenced by Afghan and Iranian 60s and 70s pop music. She released 6 original single songs in Afghanistan, all of which were broadcast popularly in Afghan radio and TV stations. Elaha first rose to fame through the TV show Afghan Star in 2008. This popularity, in a society known for its persecution of female performers combined with outspoken views on women’s rights, led to an environment of serious personal danger, and she was eventually forced to flee Afghanistan.
Elaha studied Indian classical, opera singing technique while in India 2010-2011 and has since then performed worldwide for various audiences at festivals and celebrated venues. Elaha has led several music workshops for women, children and refugees in collaboration with Afghan and Central Asian Association UK & Dash Arts UK.
Elaha has also worked as a composer and performer for theatre, dance and film projects including:
Wales Millenium Center's The Boy With Two Hearts (2021) | Co-Composer & Performer
Agudo Dance Company (Silk Road) - Singer | English National Ballet (Giselle)- Singer |
Dance and music of Afghanistan (Rana Gorgani)- Singer | The Breadwinner Film OST -(Singer) | JustLike My Son Film OST (Singer).
Elaha Soroor won Songline Magazine’s Newcomer award 2020 and the release, 'Songs Of Our Mothers' won the best album of 2020 Songline Magazine, and received worldwide attention. She currently performs alongside award winning collective band Kefaya.
About Sulaiman Haqpana
Subsequent to his family's emigration from Afghanistan during the 1990s, Sulaiman embarked on a course of tabla study at Ehsan Erfan's Music Academy situated in Pakistan. Since then, he has delved into the intricacies of this instrument under the tutelage of various Ustads representing diverse gharanas, or schools/styles, of tabla playing. His musical journey has encompassed collaborations with both Afghan and non-Afghan artists and ensembles across the United Kingdom and abroad, including notable engagements with the Voice of Santur and the SOAS Daf Society.
Actively engaged with fellow ethnomusicologists and performers in the exploration of experimental and cognitive dimensions within musical performance and theory. His portfolio boasts performances at prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, British Museum, SOAS University, the House of Commons, and Oxford's Holywell Music Room.
Sulaiman has a PhD in Education from Brunel University and his professional tenure encompasses seven years of service with prominent organisations including the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Sulaiman's research interests span a wide array of topics including ethnomusicology, the intersection of faith/religion and educational institutions, the politicisation of educational interventions, gender and education, and the nexus between music and cognitive development.
About Listen to the World
‘Listen to the World’ is a place of live music where the traditions and talents of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers find a home among local artists. A playlist of shorts and other recordings from the Listen to the World programme can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@StEthelburgasLondon
Co-ordinator: For all questions about Listen to the World or to be added to the mailing list, please contact Jo Winsloe Slater at jo.winsloe@stethelburgas.org
We are immensely grateful for the support of Arts Council England for this programme.
