More than just a debut album from a gifted young storyteller, Ariana Delawari's "Lion of Panjshir" is a psychedelic folk journey with a very interesting story behind it. Recorded in both Kabul and Los Angeles, Delawari's own guitar, piano, and vocal melodies are soaked in classical Afghan rhythms and echoes of Laurel Canyon rock & roll. Delawari delivers a fresh and impassioned sound that exudes a universal spirit.

Delawari's choice to record "Lion of Panjshir" in Afghanistan came with a phone call in February 2007: "It was my mother from Kabul telling me that the Taliban was starting to gain power again," she says. As part of a reconstruction effort, Delawari's parents had returned to Afghanistan in 2002; she herself had been going back and forth since then, diligently documenting her travels in photographs and film. The call though, signaled what might be a last opportunity for her: "At this particular moment I had a feeling that things were shifting- that I may never have the chance to record there again." Three months later she and her bandmates Max Guirand and Paloma Udovic found themselves at her parents house in Kabul. Under the protection of two guards (AK 47s), they recorded the album right in the Delawari household. They collaborated with three Afghan Ustads: a tabla player, a rabab, player, and an 88-year-old dilruba player, the last living master of his instrument. Under previous Taliban rule these talented musicians had once dismantled and hid their instruments due to a ban on music. Delawari and her band spent several days rehearsing and recording with them. The album was then finished in Los Angeles, featuring additional guest musicians and mixed by David Lynch. The album also includes one song "Suspend Me" produced by Lynch himself. The name "Lion of Panjshir" is an homage to the Afghan revolutionary Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Her previous recordings include the song "Crazy for You", part of a Madonna tribute released by Manimal Vinyl. Delawari is also a member of the LA Ladies Choir, whose first album will be coming out soon on Teenage Teardrops. Delawari both sings and plays guitar on the album.

Delawari is a multi-media artist; in addition to her music she is also an actress, photographer, and filmmaker. A graduate of USC Film School, she's currently co-directing a documentary about her family's involvement in Afghanistan, and the making of her album there with Emily Lynch. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.