Ahmad Wali

Ahmad Wali (Pashto/Dari: ) is an Afghan Ghazal singer. He began his career in the 1970s, becoming popular in his native country before he was forced to flee by political upheaval in Afghanistan. He continued his work after resettling in Germany, performing throughout Europe and North America.

Background Ahmad Wali was born in Kabul. His father, Mohammad Akram Nawabi, was a former police commander who served in various provinces across Afghanistan. He began exploring music as a Tabla player at the age of 12, gradually expanding into singing. While a student at Habibia High School, he recorded a demo tape which came to the attention of Radio Kabul director and famous Afghan singer Ustad Zaland. Soon afterward, Ahmad Wali performed two other songs: "Chashman–e–Abee," a piece composed by Zaland, and "Mah-ruye-tu" a song composed by Wali himself. Wali performed live throughout Afghanistan until after his high school graduation when he joined an international musical performance in Iran.

Career At the early stages of his career, Wali had not yet committed to life as a professional musician, and enrolled in the Kabul Police Academy. Wali's forged passport got him as far as India, where he obtained a visa to Germany by faking an illness. On 18 August 2005, Wali performed at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C., to celebrate Afghanistan's National Independence Day.