Hamed Wardak is Reaching New Heights as Valen of Wicked

For up-to-date happenings with Hamed Wardak and his music production as Valen of Wicked visit www.hamedwardakblog.com

At an early age, Hamed Wardak showed an ability to take on many challenges. His ability to focus and find creative solutions carried him on to a multi-faceted and successful career in varied venues and aspects. Although his work has had many applications, he has made his achievements in a relatively short time, setting him up well on his professional trajectory.

Hamed Wardak’s Early Successes

He was born in 1977 in Kabul, Afghanistan, to Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak. Much of his growing up was divided between the United States and Pakistan.

In 1997, Hamed was a valedictorian graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in Government and Political Theory. He also received the first-ever Rhodes scholarship presented to a graduate.

After graduation, Hamed returned to his native country to fight for its freedom in the Afghan Civil War.

Upon returning to the U.S., Hamed began corporate work with large institutions such as Technologists, Inc. and Merrill Lynch. His work at Technologists, Inc. as a United States Government contractor in business development for the US Department of Defense and the US Agency for International Development, resulted in $44 million in international business beneficial to Afghanistan.

The Entrepreneurial Path

Again, leveraging his talent for learning and adaptability and his corporate experience, Hamed Wardak took a more creative professional path by launching Ludas Athletics, a clothing line that specialized in sports apparel. He dedicated his days to fostering his business while still devoting off-hours to editorial work for The Huffington Post.

Success in Giving

Hamed not only saw Ludas Athletics as a business but also a platform for focusing attention on world concerns, in particular, refugees around the world, a subject for which he has a firsthand appreciation. He contributed his innovative solutions and time as well as reserved profits from Ludas Athletics to support the UN and its UNHCR refugee administration.

Hamed also devotes time to education and learning opportunities for underserved youth. Charitable work plays an integral part of his business life. Not only does he believe success comes from building capable and reliable teams but also partnerships based on the intrinsic nature of giving back.

Valen of Wicked

With so many achievements in his portfolio, Hamed is optimizing his potential for making future contributions. His current dedication is to the forefront of techno music with a cultural focus.

Valen of Wicked is the name he assumes as a performer and musician, creating music with an edge and authenticity that also relies on a musical skill set and careful thought. The name of “Valen” represents the courage and perseverance Hamed has exhibited in overcoming the many challenges in his life. “Wicked” draws from the universal darkness within that comes through in his raw expression.

Creating Environmentally-focused electronic music relies on comprehensive skills and discipline, including knowledge in sound production, software mastery and a firsthand understanding of the landscape of techno music. His appreciation and hard work are again setting Wicked at the vanguard of musical invention in venues spanning New York, Ibiza, Rio, and Hong Kong.

The Meaning of Valen of Wicked

Music as a vehicle for communication across cultures and languages is the meaning and purpose behind Valen of Wicked. It also brings a healing capacity that provides sustenance for body and spirit. Valen of Wicked is cultural communication through a universal human soul.

Hamed Wardak Speaks – The Blog

Along with his current work in music, Hamed has built an accompanying blog called Hamed Wardak Speaks. The blog is a product of writings by Hamed and his team and follows his engagement with and the evolution of current techno-music in every part of the globe.

One of the blog’s more relevant entries discusses the Iceland Airwaves Festival, a national event held every year in Reykjavik since 1999.

Although Iceland has a relatively small population of around 350,000, it has also engaged in musical activism since the 1980s. One of the more notable groups to perform is the Sugarcubes, which confronted topics of environmental destruction for profit by corporations. A current subject is the disappearance of traditional fishing due to automation. Increasing numbers of attendees from Europe and the United States visit the Iceland Airwaves Festival, which exhibits Iceland’s rugged sense of resilience.

Hamed Wardak and Valen of Wicked demonstrate resilience all their own, a resilience which Valen of Wicked shares with the nation of Iceland and the Iceland Airwaves Festival.