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, 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 a desire to tell stories that matter, stories that amplify voices too often left unheard.

This project is deeply personal. Growing up in Canada, I understood Afghanistan largely through fragments — my family’s memories, food, 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. Writers and reporters who see journalism as more than information — who see it as preservation, testimony, and connection — are the ones I look to. They’ve taught me that stories are not 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 — Afghans in the diaspora, and anyone who believes in the power of music — so these echoes are never forgotten.

— Marjan Asadullah