In the middle of the 1990s the only way open to Afghan artists and scholars to continue their work was to leave home and take refuge in other countries. Thus an entire generation in Afghanistan missed out on the folk tradition of Afghan music, and the responsibility for keeping that tradition alive has fallen to exiled musicians. The Afghan Ensemble was formed in the summer of 2002. The five-piece group began to research and rehearse traditional musical styles in order to preserve the diversity of Afghan musical traditions. Afghan Ensemble's newest album sung by Zohreh Jooya and Ustad Hossein Arman, arranged by Khaled Arman is based on the old lyrics of Afghan songs. It is cheerful music with a positive approach to life from the soul of a people with a close relationship to god and nature. The content of the lyrics is sometimes mystical, some are words addressed to a beloved person.