Background
Maftun was born during the 1930s in the province of Badakhshan.
Maftun was born during the 1930s in the province of Badakhshan.
He specialized in authentic instruments, principally the dambura (a two string lute), the harmonium and the ghaychak (a two string violin). He combines the music styles from the region of Badakhshan (Northern Afghanistan) with each other and mixes musical elements of different ethnic origins of other Central Asian region"s as well. In the West, Maftun is mainly known as an instrumentalist.
In Afghanistan he is known as a singer as well.
His texts vary from romantic and humoristic to social critic. Maftun knew to survive in a country where music had been forbidden by the Taliban.
He performed in Europe as well, like in 2001 in Arnhem in the Netherlands.