Zahir Howaida

Who is Zahir Howaida?

Zahir Howaida was an Afghan singer. He had been active since the 1970s and his popularity peaked with the hit single "Kamar Bareek-e-Man," the renditions of which are sampled by Iranian and Tajik singers of Tajikistan up until today, or his song " Pari Cheri" sung by many new up and coming talents of Afghanistan like Obaid Juenda and Timor Jalali. In his later years, he lived a secluded life in Germany and seldom performed. Zahir Howaida was from the Chendawol district of Kabul.

His son Arash Howaida has followed his father's steps choosing music as a career.

Mohammad Zahir Howida was born in 1946 in Daikundi. After the birth of Zahir, his father moved his family to Kabul and thereafter transferred to the city of Mazar i Sharif in the Balkh province of northern Afghanistan.

While in Mazar i Sharif, Zahir Howida entered the first grade at the Sultan Ghiassuddin Elementary school in 1953. The same year Zahir's father died at the age of 33 leaving behind Zahir, his brother and widowed mother. The family moved to Kabul where Zahir attended 2nd grade at the renowned Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan elementary school famous for its arts and humanities courses.