Editor’s Note

My name is Marjan Asadullah, and I created Echoes of Afghan Music to document, preserve, and share the stories of a cultural heritage that has been silenced, yet never erased.

As a journalist and a broadcast producer, I’ve spent years working in Canadian newsrooms, from reporting at the Toronto Star to producing national broadcasts at CTV News. My career has always been shaped by my desire to tell stories that matter and amplify the stories that are too often left unheard.

This project is deeply personal as well. Growing up in Canada, I understood Afghanistan largely through fragments. It was my family’s memories, diaspora communities, and later, the headlines I would cover in my work. But I also knew the country from artists, poets, teachers, and everyday Afghans who carried their craft despite war, exile, and silence.

My journalism influences have always been rooted in truth-telling and cultural memory. I see journalism as more than information. I see it as a tool we can use in times of conflict to preserve and connect. I believe that stories isn’t just news; they are legacies.

Echoes of Afghan Music is my way of carrying that forward. It is not just about loss, but about resilience. It is a space to honour artists who dared to sing, play, and compose when the world told them not to. And it is for the next generation of Afghans in the diaspora, and anyone who believes in the power of music and stories so they are never forgotten.