Afghan Women Solidarity Concert Belfast

Performers, Conductors and Compere Biographies collaborating with musicians from Ulster Orchestra

SONITA ALIZADEH

Sonita Alizadeh was sold into child marriage at the age of 10 and escaped at the age of 16 when her viral music video, ‘Daughters for Sale’, helped her secure a scholarship to study in the United States. Through her music and advocacy work, Sonita has campaigned for women’s rights and against child marriage. She has received the MTV Europe Music Generation Change Award and the BBC 100 Women award. A feature film ‘Sonita’ was released in premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the festival's World Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. Sonita, who learned English upon coming to the U.S., graduated from Bard College in 2023. She is preparing to pursue a master’s degree in politics at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 2025.

ELAHA SOROOR

Elaha Soroor is a Hazara singer, composer, and activist whose music and message resonate deeply with global audiences. Born into a Hazara family from Afghanistan in Iran, Elaha grew up with a layered cultural identity, shaped by the resilience and challenges of her community in exile. Returning to Afghanistan as a teenager, she found music to be a powerful means of expression in a society where women’s voices, especially those of Hazara women, were often silenced. Her career took off in 2009 on Afghan Star, where her fearless performances made her a household name but also exposed her to significant risk. As an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and ethnic representation, she faced threats that ultimately led her to relocate to the United Kingdom, where she has continued to develop her artistry and activism.
In the UK, Elaha has expanded her creative reach. Her collaboration with the music collective Kefaya resulted in Songs of Our Mothers (2019), an award-winning album reinterpreting folk songs traditionally sung by women of Afghanistan. Most recently, Elaha created Bread, Work, Freedom! an anthem made in collaboration with composer Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey, pianist Al MacSween and Afghan rapper Sonita Alizadeh, also performing at the concert.

ZARIFA ASGHARI & EVA KEARNEY

Zarifa Asghari, who fled Afghanistan to find safety in Northern Ireland took her hand to songwriting through a music project with Beyond Skin and partners, Feile and Oh Yeah Music Centre. She was introduced to Eva Kearney, one of Northern Ireland's rising music stars also known as Aqua Tofana. They have become a formidable songwriting duo recently recording their debut EP 'Afghan Girl' at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios. Eva has been touring and performing with her band that includes her partner Nolan Donnelly who will also be performing with Eva and Zarifa at the concert. Eva has been using her music to speak out about violence to women and girls and Afghan women oppression.

CAYENNA PONCHIONE-BAILEY

The collaborations with members of the Ulster Orchestra have been scored by Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey who will conduct the performances. Cayenna is emblematic of the 21st century’s newest vanguard of orchestral leadership. She is a leader in social justice and environmental sustainability within music, both on and off the podium, and her bold orchestral initiatives are pioneering in tackling the pressing issues of our time. Since first travelling to Afghanistan in 2018, she has worked particularly closely with Afghan musicians, composers, and conductors to create genre-defying work that has been described as ‘mesmerising, moving and original’. In collaboration with Afghan composer Arson Fahim, Cayenna commissioned and premiered eight new orchestral works by Afghan composers in 2022—work that was featured by BBC Radio 3’s ‘Music Matters’,

Cayenna serves as the Conducting Fellow of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, is the Director of Performance at St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, is the Academic Lead for the OAcademy, a global online music conservatory, and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield where she is writing a book on the historic and contemporary practices of the orchestras of Afghanistan. She is a Conducting Associate and Director of Research for the Oxford Conducting Institute, promoting the development of young conductors and orchestral conducting research.
She holds master’s degrees in orchestral conducting, percussion performance (Ithaca), and a doctorate in the social psychology of orchestral performance (DPhil in Music) from the University of Oxford.
Cayena is featured in a documentary by Swedish filmmaker Christina Olofson, Call Me Madame Maestro (2021), alongside JoAnn Falletta and Victoria Bond, on the current climate for women conductors. Her work has been funded by Arts Council England, British Council, Leverhulme Trust, Oxfordshire Community Foundation, The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, and many others.

SUPPORTING MUSICIANS

SAPHWAT SIMAB

Saphwat Simab (Rubab virtuoso). An official disciple of the world’s foremost Rubab master, Ustad Homayoun Sakhi of Afghanistan, Saphwat is a British-born-and-bred artist who has been learning and playing the Rubab since the age of 10. Saphwat’s tone and melodious playing has captured the hearts of audiences at every performance, his on-stage confidence and command on the instrument as well as his command on the rhythmic cycles whilst improvising in any composition with the Tabla accompaniment is mesmerising. Saphwat has been accompanied on stage by some of the world’s most renowned Tabla masters, such as Ustad Sukhvinder Singh “Pinky”, Pandit Sanju Sahai and Ustad Shahbaz Hussain. He has performed at some prestigious venues, such as the Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, the National Court Theatre, and the Nehru Centre, as well as at some other relevant venues in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Canada.

SHAHBAZ HUSSAIN

Shahbaz Hussain is one of the most promising tabla virtuosos of his generation. He has received numerous accolades for his captivating performances, including receiving the prestigious “Son of Lahore” Award from the Government of Pakistan in 2008. Shahbaz began his training in the art of tabla at age five with his father, the late Ustad Mumtaz Hussain – a prominent vocalist. He later went on to study with tabla legends Ustad Faiyaz Khan from the Delhi Gharana (school), the late Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan from the Punjab Gharana and finally the late Ustad Allah Rakha Khan. Shahbaz has mastered all the imperative traditional skills as well as the ability to project those skills to more contemporary styles. His solo performances have gained great recognition all over the world. He is also much sought after for his accompaniment skills by many of the great masters musicians of India & Pakistan - including Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ustad Rais Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia and ghazal legend Ghulam Ali to name but a few. Shahbaz regularly travels across the world to present performances, including throughout Europe, North America & the Asian subcontinent. He has performed in many prestigious venues, including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Lincoln Center in New York and London's Royal Albert & Queen Elizabeth Halls.

Al MACSWEEN

Al MacSween began playing the piano at the age of 5 and formed a group at the age of 11. At 18 he went to Leeds College of Music for to study a Bachelors in jazz piano, where he also began studying Indian improvisation and taking yearly trips to India. He has been involved with the UK Latin scene, performing at the Havana Jazz Festival and La Palacia De La Rumba, and studied at length under legendary Cuban pianist Rodolfo Argudín ‘Perochin’. He has worked with many artists including Ruby Turner, London Community Gospel Choir, Dennis Rollins, Abram Wilson and Pee Wee Ellis; he now performs regularly with Palestinian jazz singer, Reem Kelani, Kurdish vocalist Olcay Bayir.

DARRYL (DAZ) FORSYTHE

Rapper / DJ / Producer / Radio presenter / videographer. DAZ is currently living in Belfast City. Over the past 20 years he has promoted and performed in nightclubs, concert halls and festivals across Northern and Southern Ireland, held resident DJ spots in Thompson’s Garage, Rain/Milk, Box, Mono, Evissa, Club ON, Skye, Chinawhite to name a few. DAZ works as head of programmes for the Rio Ferdinand foundation in NI & Ireland and 5th Element Hip Hop Charity Northern Ireland. DAZ is also part creator, owner and manager of Skank FM online radio station based in Belfast and Plan B electronic music events and fundraisers.  DAZ has released various Hip Hop, R’N’B and Dub albums over the past 7 years independently and under small local record labels featuring with artist, vocalist & producers from the UK, Canada, USA, France & Jamaica. Years of spinning records and support sets alongside the K-Kru DJ'z for the likes of Tinchy Strider, Shotree Blitz,Trevor Nelson, Tim Westwood, DJ Cash Money, Pharcyde, Ronnie Herrel,DJ Yoda,Firin' Squad Dj Dodge, Big Ted, Dj Swerve, Steve Sutherland, Knee Cap and other leading urban music acts. Currently working on a new rap album with Micall Parknsun due for release 2025.

NOLAN DONNELLY

Nolan Donnelly, Belfast-based multi-instrumentalist & producer, started Zool Records, an artist collective and DIY label with a focus on collaboration. His work with Zool led to meeting countless local musicians, film-makers and artists, catalogued in the form of music videos and live sessions recorded and filmed in their studio and rehearsal space in West Belfast. Currently creating and performing with long-time collaborator Aqua Tofana (Eva Kearney) and touring with Amy Montgomery.

COMPÉRES - WOMEN IN MEDIA NI

AMANDA FERGUSON & NIAMH CAMPBELL

Amanda Ferguson is a Belfast based freelance journalist working as the Northern Ireland Correspondent for Reuters news agency, and The Washington Post's Ireland Stringer. She carries out similar roles for newspapers, TV, radio, and digital outlets across the UK and Ireland. A director of Women in Media Belfast CIC, a Social Change Initiative fellow, and regular media awards judge, Amanda is used to working as part of teams in Belfast, Dublin, London, Europe, the US, and beyond as an in demand writer, broadcaster, commentator, trainer, event panellist and host.

Niamh Campbell has been a journalist with The Belfast Telegraph since 2021, and a Director of Women in Media Belfast CIC since 2023. In her current reporting role at The BelTel, she covers everything from breaking news to sports and politics, as well as writing features and hosting podcasts. Niamh also regularly contributes to U105 and BBC Radio Ulster, and has also been working with the BBC NI Education team on media literacy outreach classes in schools across Northern Ireland. Niamh is passionate about women's health issues, tackling fake news, and highlighting inequalities through her reporting, but also has a soft spot for all things boxing, GAA and Liverpool FC.

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