02/04/10
Text: Gunter Meyer
Blue is the color of velvet most readily identified with independent filmmaker David Lynch. From the opening of his 1986 film—the titles floating over what seems to be acres of the slightly rolling cloth—to Dennis Hopper’s iconic and terrifying Frank Booth, with his oh-so-polite song request, Lynch has made blue velvet as synonymous with himself and blue suede is to Elvis. But if you look closer at his work, red velvet reoccurs much more consistently—similar bolts of the cloth hang as curtains both in the Black Lodge of Twin Peaks and on-stage at Club Silencio in Mulholland Drive. There’s even a headshot of the director standing in front of the same backdrop on one of the websites run by his non-profit—The David Lynch Foundation—DLF.TV.
So its not all that surprising to see the aesthetic trope pop up again in the video he shot and directed for Afghan-American singer Ariana Delawari, which just premiered on DLF.TV, in partnership with Flavorpill. The video is a series of vignettes, each showing the quite stunning Delawari decked out in a different Old Hollywood-style costume, singing snips of songs from her debut album, Lion of Panjshir. The camera work is all calculated shakes, often a slow shutter, the effect creating a kind of a slowed-paced manic feel that fits well with Delawari’s Afghan-inflected folk pop.
David Lynch may be a major champion of her music, having also released the album on his record label and producing one of the tracks, but Delawari’s sound and story are compelling all on their own. Born in Los Angeles just days after her parents fled the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Delawari’s life and music have been shaped by living in the Diaspora. Her parents moved back to Afghanistan to help rebuild the country after the fall of the Taliban in the early 2000s. Delawari followed suit by taking the mortal risk to record part of her album in Kabul—under the watch of guards armed with AK-47s—working with traditional Afghan musicians. Recording Afghan-influenced pop music in that war-torn city was not only a powerful political statement, but a highly successful artistic one as well: Lion of Panjshir is an impressive debut, with songs ranging from the Janis Joplin-influenced tracks like “San Francisco” to the more Afghan sounding “Cheshme Siah Daree”. While the styles may sound almost too diverse, the songs flow together beautifully, all strung along on the thread of Delawari’s powerful voice.
Speaking of Delawari, Lynch said: “Ariana writes great songs. They are filled with feelings and thoughts from her life—her life in Hollywood and life in Afghanistan where her roots are. Ancient and modern flow together here. This mixture of cultures and her melodies and lyrics conjure a great unique feeling in people. People are surprised and emotionally moved by this music. Ariana's got something to sign about and she does it real well. It's a beautiful debut album she's made."
DLF.tv is hosting an exclusive interview with Delawair, in which she talks about her album, working with Lynch, and more.
