Nasheet Music is one of the few successful bands that have emerged from the Afghan community. The high-energy and fun music this band of brothers Maseeh, Qaiss, Tavab and Zed has entertained thousands of fans. They talk to Hello Bollywood about their lives
You could say we are one proud group of brothers who argue, discuss and fight over nothing but come together seamlessly every time we get on stage — Maseeh
It’s impressive to see such a substantial growth in the musical industry in Afghanistan in the past 10 years. I believe that we are very fortunate to see the introduction of new male and female singers, instrument players and back-stage support — Zed
Maseeh, Qaiss, Tavab and Zed Nasheet were born in Afghanistan but educated in Pakistan, before they migrated to Australia in 2002 with their family.
The second eldest of the three, Qaiss, was raised on classical Afghan folkloric songs sung by the great Afghan singers such as Ustad Sarahang, Farhad Darya and Ahmad Zahir. In school, Qaiss was always in the choir, singing for every event organised. He continues that streak here, being the lead vocalist for the band.
Besides school, Qaiss studied under Ustad Jalil Sadeed, among the most well-known masters of western notation in Afghanistan. Qaiss continued with his musical dream with the greatest sitar players in Afghanistan Ustad Majid Sepand, who taught the young boy to appreciate eastern music.
In Australia, Qaiss continued his musical passion and received a certificate in playing guitar. Qaiss’ initial contribution to the Afghan community was singing the special song for the “first Loya Jirga” or first grand assembly held in Afghanistan after the collapse of the Taliban regime.
Besides being lead vocalist for Nasheet Music, Qaiss, who is incidentally an environmental scientist in Melbourne, can play keyboard, tabla and guitar.
Tavab is the second vocalist and tabla player in the band, and learned his art under Ustad Mahroof in Pakistan. Besides playing a key role in the band, Tawab works in the finance industry in Melbourne.
Zed is a passionate and professional percussionist who has followed the steps of his two older brothers and done an amazing job at supporting the band and playing percussions for some of the famous Afghan singers including Naghma, Ariana Saeed, ValyHedjasi and many more. Zed plays a key role in the success and running of Nasheet music. Besides his role at the music band, Zed is a successful real estate agent.
And then comes the fourth brother, the oldest of the four, Maseeh, whom they say has supported them all through the way.
“Fortunately because we are a band of brothers, we have a lot in common and that shows in our performance on stage. You could say we are one proud group of brothers who argue, discuss and fight over nothing but come together seamlessly every time we get on stage,” says Maseeh. “More important, we love what we do and we all aim to entertain our fans and keep smiles on their faces.
The group recently travelled to Afghanistan and Dubai, and produced some music videos. “Our tour to the two countries was successful with several requests from different TV stations broadcasting it. During this tour, we also managed to prepare some new songs, which were released during Eid,” says Qaiss.
“Music is our passion. We play music because we love it. The love and passion we have for music has made us popular across the world,” says Zed.
Having become hugely popular in the last few years, Nasheet is booked for private functions almost every weekend or weekdays throughout the year. While the events are usually in Melbourne, the trio has travelled interstate and internationally including the USA, Canada and Europe to perform.
The brothers say they select their songs based on feedback from fans, and prefer not to stick to a particular Afghan language or theme. “We entertain across demographics. We have fans on our Facebook pages who come from different parts of the world. Some of these fans are Afghans born in different parts of the world and are not familiar with the official languages of Afghanistan. We cater to all of them,” say the brothers.
“After almost 12 years of regular performances at different types of functions and events across the world, we have all learned to enter the stage with great confidence. We believe in entertaining the audience with the best quality of music,” says Tavab.
“In recent years, we are fortunate to have witnessed a substantial growth in the Afghan musical industry, which is a sign of things to come,” says Maseeh.
“It’s impressive to see such a substantial growth in the musical industry in Afghanistan in the past 10 years. I believe that we are very fortunate to see the introduction of new male and female singers, instrument players and back-stage support,” adds Zed.
As for their advice to bands out there trying to make their mark in the world of entertainment, they say performing at functions is not simply about playing an instrument well, bands need to spend time in research and practice and stick up for each other no matter what. “All that dedication and loyalty shows through in a performance,” say the brothers.
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