Word: tarana
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...most Afghans, the face of Farida Tarana, 27, evokes her tumultuous 2006 ascent to the No. 8 position on the widely watched local version of American Idol. She was the first female competitor from the conservative western province of Herat, and while she charmed audiences nationwide with her joyful renditions of classic Afghan songs, she was persecuted by conservatives for daring to break cultural taboos against women singing in public. These days, however, her face, emblazoned on election posters and billboards across Kabul, symbolizes the shattering of new barriers: popularly elected women in politics. Last week it was announced that...
...Afghanistan's 34 provincial councils, which have been all but overshadowed by the presidential race, have produced results that prove that Afghans not only wholeheartedly support the idea of democracy, but also that they are far more liberal and progressive than the rest of the world might suspect. Tarana, dressed in slim black trousers under a tight black coat accented with a flashy silver headscarf, compares herself with her bearded, conservative predecessors on the council. "Afghans are not like what you hear from other countries, that they are religious and strict," she says. "You can see that by voting...
...with the presidential race, the provincial council elections have also been tainted by allegations of fraud. Still, Tarana is one of scores of young Afghans who are entering politics for the first time. Their energy, enthusiasm and youthful idealism, if channeled correctly, may yet be the impetus for the substantial changes Afghanistan will have to go through before it can develop into a stable democracy that operates under the rule of law. "In provinces throughout Afghanistan, hundreds of youths nominated themselves for provincial councils," says Sanjar Sohail, editor of the newspaper Eight in the Morning. "What does this mean? That...
Still, it's a slim hope. Provincial councils have little real power in Afghanistan, as they serve more as advisory boards than legislative or budgeting organs. Tarana admits that she will be able to achieve little lasting change on the Kabul council but points out that by simply serving in the public realm, she will be making a difference. "I first started thinking about politics when I was having so many problems on Afghan Star. No one in government supported me, and those in power condemned me. Now I can be supportive of youth who are willing to rise...
After the classical piece, they were joined by the jazz musicians as well as Mallika L. Mundkur ’04 and Amol K. Tripathi ’03, both members of the campus musical group Tarana, who played Hindi drums called tablas...