Radio Kabul

Radio Kabul is less a format than a mirror held up to a city that has seen everything. The playlist roams: a rubab instrumental, then Ahmad Zahir's most-requested ballads, then something your taxi driver knows every word to. Farhad Darya still gets airtime, the way he always has on Afghan radio. Don't expect tight segues or polished imaging. That's the charm. Daytime blocks lean on talk, news, and listener call-ins; the music opens up later, and that's when the station is at its best. There's no neat genre tag here. Fine by me. Radio in Afghanistan rarely comes pre-packaged, and this one certa…