These singers fought to inspire women's rights on Afghan Star Season 14. Then the Taliban returned

Q23:14Aryana Sayeed and Fazila Amiri on their documentary And Still I Sing

Whether it's Pop Idol, America's Got Talent or The Next Star, reality talent shows are a massive global phenomenon that have produced numerous superstars. In Afghanistan, the most popular version of the format, Afghan Star, began in 2005, and the first 13 seasons only saw men win in a competition determined by rounds of public voting.

Directed by Fazila Amiri, the documentary film And Still I Sing follows the only two female contestants of season 14, Zahra Elham and Sadiqa Madadgar, and Afghan Star judge Aryana Sayeed, as they navigate being women singers in a post-Taliban Afghanistan. 

"In Afghanistan we don't have much entertainment or cinema, so families largely, they just love watching television," the director tells Tom Power in a new interview on Q. "Reality shows, music, TV series, pop stars coming into the country really brought this very positive change and inspired millions of Afghan youth to showcase their talents."

Sayeed had a long journey to becoming the pop star and activist she is today. She became a refugee at eight years old, and with six sisters and her mother, she deeply felt the pain Afghan women suffered during the war. Raising awareness about women's rights in Afghanistan became one of her motivations when starting her singing career. 

"Women have suffered the most during the war and they have never actually been given the full rights; even the basic rights that a woman is supposed to have, they've never had it. So for me, as much as it's about music and everything, it's more for a cause as well that I like to use my platform," says Sayeed.

Amiri found inspiration in Sayeed, seeing her rebuild the music industry, planning a world tour, and teaching new talents despite angering Afghanistan's religious conservatives. The Taliban have called for her beheading. 

"They didn't like me because of what I stood for, and because of the fact that I wanted women to wake up and know that they're human beings too. They have a voice, they should use it, and that they should stand up for themselves," says Sayeed.

She calls herself one of the most loved and one of the most hated female artists in Afghanistan, with murals of her face having the mouth painted over — literally calling for her to be silent.

Before Sayeed joined the judging panel of Afghan Star, there were very few women and girls on the show. They were afraid of being shown on TV because female singers are looked down upon.

"My presence in the show was making a huge amount of difference. The fact that girls were daring to come and participate despite all the problems, that was a big deal," says Sayeed.

Sayeed acts as a mentor to contestants Elham and Madadgar, with the documentary showcasing the friendship and dynamics of these three women fighting the patriarchy. 

Contestants Elham and Madadgar are childhood friends of Hazara ethnic background, who returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan to audition for Afghan Star. Elham's family is supportive of her singing career, while Madadgar's parents disapprove. Despite their differences, the documentary shows the contestants' sister-like bond over the ethnic and gender-based marginalization they faced.

"I love their ambition and how they were adamant to win the show for the first time and make history, and that's because Aryana was there and they were empowering each other," Amiri tells Q. Elham won the season with the public vote, making history as the first woman in 14 years to win Afghan Star. 

Amiri wants to preserve the women making history, especially since so much history was lost to war, and feature new talent coming from the country.

She says, "I was really inspired by the return of visual culture, back to the streets of Kabul in a post-Taliban society, and really wanted to focus, make a film about the role of women singers and society."

Filming for And Still I Sing was happening in 2019, with Donald Trump signing the Doha Agreement shortly after. Amiri wanted the film to end on a hopeful note, with momentum for change and progress — but the peace deal changed everything. 

"I spend so much of my time in Afghanistan trying to bring change, to bring some positivity, and we actually gained a lot during the past 20 years," says Sayeed. "Finally, we were basically regaining a bit of what we had lost, and then suddenly this huge change and back to darkness, back to zero where it was before, and it was really heartbreaking for me."

All three subjects of the documentary had to hide and flee the country, fearing life under Taliban rule. Amiri kept contact with them as they found their way to safety. Madadgar's family was threatening to tell the Taliban where she was unless she got married, so she spent months at a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi until her asylum was accepted in Germany. 

The ending shifted, but the goal of the documentary remained the same. 

"Our goal was to basically show positivity to people. A country without hope is nothing, and Afghanistan was going through a lot," says Amiri. "Then there was us, a group of us trying to give positivity and energy and some laughter and smiles to hopeless people, where in the background we were going through a lot of problems and trauma."

Despite being told to record voiceovers for And Still I Sing, Amiri specifically wanted to let Afghans control their own stories. She says, "I like to stay behind the camera and let my characters become alive and tell their story the way they want to.

This is especially poignant in a time when the Taliban wants to silence women like Sayeed, Elham and Madadgar. 

"I do not want to give up. There's no way. I feel like it started a war for me. It's not just music — it's the cause," Sayeed says. "I want to be the source of energy for them not to give up — not to be silenced."

Sayeed continued her world tour, dedicating the songs on her tour to women struggling in Afghanistan. She says "My inspiration comes from them, and they drive me. They keep me going and they're my strength and I want to give back to them."

The full interview with Aryana Sayeed and Fazila Amiri is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Aryana Sayeed and Fazila Amiri produced by Jennifer Warren.