In the late '70's Mohammad Sharif (rabab) and Ustad Hakim (tabla) played almost every night at the Istambul Cafe at the corner of Koche Murgha (Chicken Street) and Park Street. When I returned to Kabul in early spring 1978, they heard I was in town and showed up at my small room with their instruments wanting to know if I wanted to do some taping right there. We decided to go down to the Istambul where there was more space. An Afghan who did an introduction on the tape I recorded that day told me the music was 'the holy sounds of paradise'. What a perfect name.

You can listen to Mohammad Sharif and Ustad Hakim at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqrnWtkPP1c