Yes, it's real. Tamin is an Afghani folk musician who lives in California, and gives workshops at a folk music camp here every summer. I saw him at a Middle Eastern session when I attended camp in 1997. He also played for one of the dance lessons - a fine musician and a warm, fun guy. This piece originally appeared as a letter to the editor in the San Francisco Chronicle, and soon after made the e mail rounds among the campers (about 400 people attend this camp) and their friends.

-chanteyranger