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Watch: This Afghan refugee is sharing a message of peace through metal music

"Metal Sam" is a native of Afghanistan living in ϳԹ. The 21-year-old artist says for him, music is freedom.

He and his family were in Kabul during the Taliban takeover on Aug. 15, 2021. Forced into worry and fear he threw away his guitar, which was seen as supportive to western culture.

"People wanted to change after a long period of war, not knowing that that change could be worse," he said.

Now, two years after leaving Afghanistan, he and his family have found their way to a better life in New Haven, ϳԹ.

"I've developed a lot and I've made the mindset to keep on making music and do what I love. That has impacted my life," he said.

Watch as Metal Sam describes how he re-established his true passion: playing metal guitar and expressing his art. Read the full story.

“Metal Sam” plays distorted guitar riffs by the water at Bradley Point Park in West Haven, ϳԹ on September 5, 2023. (Dave Wurtzel/ϳԹ)
Dave Wurtzel
/
ϳԹ
“Metal Sam” plays distorted guitar riffs by the water at Bradley Point Park in West Haven, ϳԹ on September 5, 2023.
“Metal Sam” plays distorted guitar riffs by the water at Bradley Point Park in West Haven, ϳԹ on September 5, 2023.
Dave Wurtzel
/
ϳԹ
“Metal Sam” plays distorted guitar riffs by the water at Bradley Point Park in West Haven, ϳԹ on September 5, 2023.
Provided photo - Death Metal band Rig Veda in Kabul, Afghanistan, 2019
Rig Veda
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ϳԹ
Provided photo - Death Metal band Rig Veda in Kabul, Afghanistan, 2019

Dave Wurtzel is an award winning Visuals Journalist at ϳԹ.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that ϳԹ relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from ϳԹ, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de ϳԹ, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that ϳԹ relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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ϳԹ’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.