Presented to you by our sister site VirtualAfghans.com, the following is a list of most notable and downloaded hit songs of 2009 which gained great popularity and exposure on a variety of websites, radio stations and satellite channels. These songs have been compiled exclusively by Virtual Afghans and appear in no particular order of rating or significance.

Hope you enjoy the songs… don’t forget to downloaded high quality and voice free mp3′s of the songs in links below… comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Note: The MP3 songs of this album will be available for download very soon… please keep checking.

The 4th Annual Ariana Television Network’s Awards show was held in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday, December 5th, 2009.  Your favorite Afghan celebrities and artists from all over the world were invited and given recognition for their achievements. The awards show reached a global television audience covering the majority of Afghans everywhere. It was a wonderful opportunity for supporting Afghan culture and the performing arts.

The recorded program will likely be broadcasted end of December or for new years.

Below is the list of 2009 award recipients (not in order):

Best Male Artist: Farhad Darya
Best Female: Naghma
Best New Male: Shekeb Osmani
Best New Female: Ghazal
Best Duo: Hafiz & Devyani Ali
Best Ghazal Artist: Najim Nawabi
Best Mahali Artist: Mir Maftoon
Best Album: Jawid Sharif (Kankaash)
Best Track: Bia Janam (Tawab Arash)
Best Music Video: Atish Ba Dilam (Valy)
Best Patriotic Song: Shahe Mardan (Jawid Sharif)
Best Lyrics: Maadar (Hafiy & Devyani)
Best Light Song: Dokhtar-e Afghan (Mozhdah)
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients: Zahir Howaida, Afsana, Rahim Mehryar, Parasto, Ustad Arman, Madadi

AfghanMP3.com editor’s note:
Though better than last year’s show… like most of you, we felt that some of the awards given in certain categories were biased simply because certain artists have videos and program deals with Ariana Television Network.

No disrespect to Tawab Arash and Jawid Sharif – they’re both great artists, but by awarding Bia Janam and Shah-e Mardaan as Best Song and Best Patriotic Song of the year respectively, is ATN telling us that they are better than Latif Nangarhari’s Afghanistan or Farhad Darya’s Atan? Mozhdah’s Dokhtar-e Afghan for Best Light Song? You kidding me!

We are witnessing small but positive signs of Afghan music industry picking itself up through the production of better music and videos as well as tv programs… let’s hope that people in charge of such award and tv shows do justice by selecting and awarding the appropriate winners instead of playing favors or the usual biased politics.

Some fundemental changes are necessary, both by TV stations and our artists, if we want to see our music industry succeed in the right direction.

Check out darya’s message:

De Afghaanse zanger en songwriter Farhad Darya is de meest invloedrijke muzikant sinds 1980 in zijn vaderland. Hij heeft in zijn carrière al vele prijzen gewonnen, waaronder de Human Rights Award in 2006 en Leading Singer of Afghanistan in 2002. Hij wordt als grondlegger gezien van de hedendaagse muziek in Afghanistan. Zijn invloeden zijn hoorbaar in vele verschillende muziekstijlen en hebben vele generaties geraakt. Zijn muziek wordt gekenmerkt door een mix van Afghaanse en internationale muziekstromen.

Zijn nummer “Kabul Jaan” (Geliefd Kabul) was het eerste lied wat op de radio in Kabul te horen was in 2001 bij Radio Afghanistan. Vanaf 1980 heeft hij meer dan 30 albums in Afghanistan uitgebracht. Op zaterdag 26 september is deze levende legende in Ahoy Rotterdam te aanschouwen vanwege de viering van het Suikerfeest.

Source: Dutch website

Afghanistan’s upcoming presidential election has been looking increasingly American — with posters, rallies, Web sites and music.

The country’s biggest musical star is performing a series of concerts aimed at “rocking the vote.”

A concert Tuesday night in Kabul drew thousands of excited fans. They were divided, Afghan-style, between men and women.

Most of the young men pumping their fists in the air on the soccer field were in Western dress, — but some are more traditional. One young man, who was wearing a starched, foot-high turban, brought with him a dozen of his young friends who are from a border province in the east where the Taliban is strong. But none of them were thinking about that last night.

They were there for the message and the music.

“The population of Afghanistan is 68 percent young generation,” he says. “Why we should be afraid of insecurity and war? Why shouldn’t we get together? We should all work for stability and peace in Afghanistan. That’s why we are here.”

Listen to the full report – includes Darya’s interview

There were plenty of women and girls in attendance and ready to swoon at the sight of Farhad Darya.

The name “Farhad” has a great romantic connotation: Farhad is the “Romeo” in Afghanistan’s version of Romeo and Juliet.

But the concert had a serious side, too: He is hoping to convince Afghans to get out and vote.

Darya himself fled the bloody civil war that destroyed Kabul in the early 1990s, when warlords fought over who would rule the country. He didn’t come back from his home in the United States until after the Taliban were driven out. As a result, he has as many sad memories as anyone in the audience.

He is acutely aware, for instance, that Kabul Stadium, the site of his concert, became infamous as the place where the Taliban conducted public executions and dismemberments — and particularly of women.

“I had my first concert here after 2001, here in this same stadium. People saw me singing about love and new life and giving them hope. People were crying. I’m trying to heal the painful past here,” he says.

Note: All content courtesy of http://www.npr.org/

The tour will kick start on August 3 in Jalalabad at Sports Stadium, followed by Mazar Sharif on August 7 and then ending with the last show in Kabul on August 11 at Sports Stadium.

It should be noted that the admission to these concerts will be free of charge.

Here’s your chance to watch Farhad Darya’s 3 latest music videos all released in August 2009 which seem to target the Afghanistan elections.

All videos are shot by an Indian music director Amarjit-Sawant of Eye Candy Films.

The March video is noticeably beautiful with shots of Darya singing in Dar-ul-Aman castle alongside chorus of young Afghan artists.

March which was originally titled Kheyal-e Man Yaqeen Man, a track critical of the communist regime back in 1990′s was originally released in Darya’s Mehrabani album, however, it was banned and censored by the government.

This song has resurfaced again – who knows – maybe it is sending a message about the current regime in Afghanistan backed by America and Nato.

Watch the videos below and don’t forget to rate the and leave us you comments.

March (Kheyal-e Man) Download MP3

Atan Song Download MP3

Walls (De Kor Dewaaloona) Download MP3

Darya, who has brought a fresh breath of air to Afghan music industry with his latest pop rock genre, here can be seen as the foundation for new generation of Afghan artists when it comes to preparing and organizing for concerts.

I am sure you are with me when I say this: This is how it’s supposed to be done.

I had an opportunity to attend Farhad Darya’s concert in Vancouver, Canada (where I live). The quality of sound, music and preparation blew me away. I could not have been any more proud to be a fan of Darya and Afghan music during that concert.

Below you can view clips of this documentary, courtesy of BBC.

Farhad Darya has been chosen as artist of the year 2008. This was a very important year in Darya’s career since he released two albums, came with a new videoclip “Dohle Bezan” and gave a tour all around the world. The following was stated about the choice for selecting Darya as artist of the year.

“In an effort to recognize the efforts and work of one of Afghanistan most beloved artists in the year 2008, VirtualAfghans.com has chosen Farhad Darya the 2008 artist of the Year.

Mr. Darya had one of the most incredible year of his music career to date with the release of two beautiful and hit albums: HA! and Yaahoo in which he introduced his fans to his new style of world pop songs. He also performed in many successful tours all over the world, from North American cities to Dubai and Tajikistan.

Farhad Darya has recently and noticeably been promoting his charity organization of Kochah which has earned him even more love and respect amongst his fans and admirers all over the world.

All of the achievements mentioned above granted Farhad Darya the deserving title of ‘VirtualAfghans.com 2008 Artist of the Year‘, a new web award system and tradition that we will try to keep in order to highlight and appreciate the hard work of our talented artists.”

Source: Virtual Afghans