”’Qais Essar”’ is an Afghan-American musician based in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Arizona.<ref>[http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/qais-essar-turns-ancient-afghan-music-into-a-time-traveling-experiment-of-sound-8979796 “Qais Essar Turns Ancient Afghan Music into a Time-Traveling Experiment of Sound”]. ”[[Phoenix New Times]]”, January 11, 2017.</ref> A [[Rubab (instrument)|rabab]] player and songwriter, he is most noted for the song “The Crown Sleeps”, from the 2017 animated film ”[[The Breadwinner (film)|The Breadwinner]]”, which won the [[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Achievement in Music – Original Song|Best Original Song]] prize at the [[6th Canadian Screen Awards]] in 2018.<ref name=georgiastraight>[https://www.straight.com/movies/1043216/maudie-kims-convenience-ava-alias-grace-and-rumble-among-major-winners-canadian “Maudie, Kim’s Convenience, Ava, Alias Grace, and Rumble among major winners at Canadian Screen Awards”]. ”[[The Georgia Straight]]”, March 11, 2018.</ref> He co-wrote the song with Joshua Hill, a bandmate in the now-defunct band Qosmonauts.<ref name=georgiastraight/> Essar often features instruments more familiar to Western music to complement the more traditional sound of the rabab and the [[santur]] in his compositions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiser |first=Danny |date=May 10, 2022 |title=Afghanistan/USA: The Ghost You Love Most – Qais Essar |url=https://www.200worldalbums.com/post/afghanistan-usa-the-ghost-you-love-most-qais-essar |access-date=October 6, 2023 |website=200worldalbums.com}}</ref>
”’Qais Essar”’ is an Afghan-American musician based in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Arizona.<ref>[http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/qais-essar-turns-ancient-afghan-music-into-a-time-traveling-experiment-of-sound-8979796 “Qais Essar Turns Ancient Afghan Music into a Time-Traveling Experiment of Sound”]. ”[[Phoenix New Times]]”, January 11, 2017.</ref> A [[Rubab (instrument)|rabab]] player and songwriter, he is most noted for the song “The Crown Sleeps”, from the 2017 animated film ”[[The Breadwinner (film)|The Breadwinner]]”, which won the [[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Achievement in Music – Original Song|Best Original Song]] prize at the [[6th Canadian Screen Awards]] in 2018.<ref name=georgiastraight>[https://www.straight.com/movies/1043216/maudie-kims-convenience-ava-alias-grace-and-rumble-among-major-winners-canadian “Maudie, Kim’s Convenience, Ava, Alias Grace, and Rumble among major winners at Canadian Screen Awards”]. ”[[The Georgia Straight]]”, March 11, 2018.</ref> He co-wrote the song with Joshua Hill, a bandmate in the now-defunct band Qosmonauts.<ref name=georgiastraight/> Essar often features instruments more familiar to Western music to complement the more traditional sound of the rabab and the [[santur]] in his compositions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiser |first=Danny |date=May 10, 2022 |title=Afghanistan/USA: The Ghost You Love Most – Qais Essar |url=https://www.200worldalbums.com/post/afghanistan-usa-the-ghost-you-love-most-qais-essar |access-date=October 6, 2023 |website=200worldalbums.com}}</ref>
