My latest contemporary fiction, Silent Heroes, looks at the War in Afghanistan from a different perspective: that of the soldiers taking part in it and of the Afghan people caught in it. Because there are always two sides to a story. Part of my research was listening to music. I’ll share with you a few songs that now remind me of the courageous Afghan people.
Pentatonix – ‘Mary Did You Know’
The first time I heard Mary Did You Know, it was sung by my daughter’s college choir. I thought there wasn’t a more beautiful tune, nor more heartbreaking lyrics.
Mary Did You Know is a Christmas hymn to Mary, Mother of Jesus, but I feel that any mother can relate to it, especially the mothers of soldiers. While researching and writing Silent Heroes I often asked myself, how must these mothers feel like?
The soldier’s mothers, back home in the safety of their big cities, yet not able to pinpoint on the map the exact location of their children? How they felt in the first moment they heard their child will fight in Afghanistan, as a soldier?
The Afghan kids’ mothers, each morning they face another day of war, knowing that when their child leaves through the door it might be the last time they see him?
‘Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Pentatonix, Mary Did You Know – Songwriters: Buddy Greene / Mark Lowry
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God.’
Mary, Did You Know? lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group (source)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – ‘Fortunate Son’
This song was released in 1969, during the peak period of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. To me, it speaks more of the unfairness of disadvantages between different social classes, the unfairness that a war plays on the civilians of a country, an unfairness that will project itself over the future generations.
‘Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Songwriters: John C Fogerty
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no.’
Fortunate Son lyrics © The Bicycle Music Company. Find lyrics here.
Afghani Rabab: “Valley” Folksong
Music speaks so much about the spirit of a nation, and so are its national instruments. There is so much intensity in this song, a love for life. I can see the sun rising over the Hindu Kush Mountains and the Afghan women spinning in dance, children chasing one another over rocky rivers, catching fish to take back to their mother to cook for dinner. One of many beautiful songs that remind my of unknown Silent Heroes, Afghan people too.
Afghani folk-song entitled “Valley” written and performed by Quraishi and accompanied by Samir Chatterjee on tabla.
A rubab, robab or rabab is a lute-like musical instrument originating from central Afghanistan. The rubab is mainly used by Pashtun, Tajik. sadly, making a rabab today is a dying art.
“They are Shiites and, most of the time, anti-Taliban,” Marcos went on. “Pashtuns dress differently and are easy to recognise. They tend to leave an end of their headdress loose so they can cover their mouth and noses in the dust storms of southeast Afghanistan, where they mostly live. Pashtuns are indo-Iranians by race and language. They mostly wear a qmis, which is a loose-fitting shirt that reaches down to the knees and a shalwar, pants tied with a string at the waist. Pashtuns typically have dark skin and more western features.”
Silent Heroes by Patricia Furstenberg
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Pat, a superlative post and I’m taken with your musical presentation of Afghanistan … the music of all are wonderful and I’m taken with the last piece particularly from the country. Hypnotising. I’ve been fascinated with Afghanistan since I was young and your book intrigues me, especially as it is written from three different viewpoints. I’ve now bought it and hope to read it soon.
Thank you so much, Annika. I do appreciate you positive comment.
You do know how much research and how much of ourselves goes into writing a book. It always fascinates me when I read about this.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have met quite a few amazing people from the Middle East (with Afghanistan just bordering this area of the world map). They are so friendly, their respect for their own culture and history so deep (albeit the political issues), and the reverence they showed for any other national so inspiring…
And music tells so much about a culture, isn’t it 🙂 in a language everyone can grasp.
I do hope you will find Silent Heroes enjoyable. Thank you for your support, Annika!