Nasrat Parsa

Nasrat Ali Parsa was born in a suburb of Kabul, Afghanistan. His family, especially his oldest brother Najibullah Parsa, was already involved in music to a certain extent and the environment of a musical household helped materialize Nasrat’s artistic talents. According to Nasrat's personal account, he was first discovered after singing the songs of Ahmad Zahir on a national radio broadcast. After the singer heard the renditions of his songs by the 7 year old Nasrat, he got in touch with the child and invited him to sing with him. Thus was Nasrat’s formal initiation into singing.

On May 7, 2005, Nasrat Parsa performed a concert in Vancouver, Canada, on the occasion of Mother's Day, opening a comprehensive tour that was scheduled to include several cities in North America. At the height of his popularity, and on the occasion of promoting his upcoming album Dil, the singer flew to Canada where he performed to a large crowd of fans, some of whom saw him live on stage for the first time.

On May 12, 2005, Nasrat Parsa’s body was flown back to Germany for burial. The grief-stricken bereaved family members and fans around the world individually held services to honor the singer. Notably, the funeral held at Sayed Jamaladen Masjid by Habib Qaderi on May 15, 2005 in Orange County, United States, drew thousands of sorrowful fans. Other cities, in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Afghanistan also held similar mourning sessions. His grave is situated in Frankfurt, Germany in Mainzer Waldfriedhof.

On May 13, 2005, a candlelight vigil was held in memory of the singer in Laguna Beach, United States. The event, which drew many fans and sympathizers, called for a conscious effort to respect all singers from Afghanistan. Furthermore, it called for active action against violence in future concert events to protect the other musical assets of Afghanistan. The vigil was held with an Islamic theme to honor his family’s religious tradition. Similar ceremonies were also held thereafter in various cities around the world in honor of the singer.

We are deeply saddened and deeply touched by Nasrat Parsa’s death. Singers are the moral property of a society. - Gholam Mohamed Yosufzai (Acting Deputy Minister of Information of Afghanistan in Agence France-Presse, May 10, 2005

The death of Parsa on Mother's Day must have been heart-stopping news for his mother and family. - Salim Alim (Music Retailer, CBC.CA News, May 10, 2005

He never smiled in any of his pictures... perhaps he had sensed his life's tragic end at the hands of his countrymen beforehand. - Ozair ( Nasrat Parsa Vigil, Laguna Beach, CA. May 13, 2005)

Due to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the ensuing disruptive guerrilla fighting, Nasrat Parsa and his family left Afghanistan in 1981 for Pakistan and subsequently to India. They took residence in the capital city of New Delhi, a popular destination for most war civilians. There, the 12-year-old Nasrat was said to delve into studying music to find comfort from the negative psychological effects of the war. He attended the school of music under the apprenticeship of classic Indian singer Daish Pandi. Although the classical music of Afghanistan and Indian classical music differ a bit in tone and rhythm, the training nonetheless gave Nasrat a foundation to prepare his voice and gave encouragement to the amateur to pursue his interest professionally. He also studied with Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, a leading authority in certain Indian music styles who taught him details of musical instruments and notes. It was these lessons that would prepare him for performing the ghazal that he later became known for in Europe.

Nasrat Parsa (Persian: نصرت پارسا ‎, February 22, 1968 – May 8, 2005) was a popular Afghan singer. Up until his murder, he continued his music in exile from Hamburg, Germany, occasionally touring other countries.