Country of Origin: Afghanistan
Location: Germany
“Silencing a Nation’s Music: The Destruction of Afghanistan’s Musical Revival after August 2021”
After decades of war and civil conflict, Afghanistan experienced a remarkable cultural revival during the period of the Islamic Republic (2001-2021). Music, long marginalized by violence and political instability, gradually reclaimed its place in society through the establishment of academic institutions, music schools, cultural organizations, and public artistic initiatives. The Department of Music at Kabul University, the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and numerous independent cultural institutions played pivotal roles in educating a new generation of musicians, preserving Afghanistan’s rich musical heritage, and fostering artistic innovation. Although significant challenges remained, these developments represented an important step toward rebuilding the country’s musical and cultural identity. This progress came to an abrupt halt in August 2021. Following the political transformation, public musical life was effectively dismantled. Music education was suspended, artistic performance and production became virtually impossible, and musicians faced persecution, intimidation, and severe economic hardship. Many artists, educators, and scholars were forced into exile, while others abandoned their professions simply to survive. Highly trained musicians —including university professors, graduates, and professional performers—were compelled to seek livelihoods outside their fields, resulting in an unprecedented loss of artistic expertise and intellectual capital. Drawing on scholarly research as well as my personal experience as the former Chair of the Department of Music at Kabul University, this lecture examines the far-reaching cultural consequences of silencing music in Afghanistan. It explores the impact of these developments on music education, cultural heritage, artistic freedom, and the lives of musicians, while reflecting on the challenges and possibilities of preserving Afghanistan’s musical traditions within exile communities. Ultimately, the lecture argues that the suppression of music represents not only the loss of an artistic practice but also a profound assault on cultural memory, national identity, and the transmission of knowledge across generations.
Willing to share personal story.