When the Taliban first took over Afghanistan, they formally forbade the playing and listening of music. Musicians took great risks in violating this injunction, and many instruments were destroyed by the new occupiers. The trauma left in the hearts of Afghans was still palpable, several years after their overthrow by the Americans. With their return in August 2021, fears and anxieties resurfaced. Many musicians fled the country, seeking refuge in Europe and the West. No longer able to make a living from their art, many are forced to give up their musical practice to find a quick way to support themselves. Unable to play music in their own country, or even in the country where they have found refuge, what does the future hold for Afghan music? What means do we have at our disposal to safeguard this musical tradition? With the presence of Afghan artists in the West, it would be possible to promote it, but can a musical tradition survive outside its country of origin? We know that a musical fact is totally linked to people and their context. If one of these elements is removed, the music loses all meaning. Plato understood the importance of music to the identity of a culture.
“Music gives soul to our hearts and wings to our thoughts.
“If you want to know a people, you have to listen to their music.
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