The soft strumming belies the radical nature of the mission that has taken root here: to preserve Afghan music and use it as a tool to counter those who want to eradicate it.
"The Taliban tried to silence us," said Ahmad Sarmast, the director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, in his new office in Braga. "But we're much stronger and much louder than yesterday."
Launched in 2010 under the US-backed government in Kabul, the institute once stood as a powerful sign of the changes sweeping Afghanistan. Young male and female musicians often from poor backgrounds performed together in ensembles that included Zohra, the country's first all-female orchestra.
They toured the world, offering up a singular blend of Afghan and western music as they reclaimed the country's music traditions and directly challenged the years of silence enforced by the Taliban. "It was a symbol of progress, of human rights and of women's empowerment," Sarmast said. The institute's future, however, and that of its young musicians, went dark in August 2021 as the Taliban returned to power.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 22, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 22, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Zalewski holds nerve to ruin Scotland fightback
The bad news keeps on coming for Steve Clarke and Scotland. Just when it looked as if damage incurred during a horrible Euro 2024 - and in the first half here - looked like being repaired, Poland snatched a 97thminute victory.
‘Bit miserable’ Buttler backed to rediscover joy of playing
Brendon McCullum has backed Jos Buttler to captain England back to white-ball prominence, insisting he is confident the 33-year-old is the right man to lead the limited-overs teams.
Truwit takes silver a year on from near-death shark attack
Even in the story-laden world of the Paralympics, where things are never monochrome, it is hard to trump getting your leg bitten off by a shark one year and swimming for medals in Paris the next.
Ingebrigtsen and Kerr have no answer to Nuguse’s sprint finish
Over the past 18 months, we have become used to seeing Josh Kerr slugging it out for gold and glory in the world's biggest 1500m races.
Volkswagen Closures make financial sense to car company, but a political battle looms
When Bernd Pischetsrieder attempted to cut jobs at Volkswagen in the early 2000s, he was forced out.
Topshop could return to high street after Asos sells stake
Topshop and Topman could return to the high street after Asos handed control of the fashion brand to the billionaire behind Vero Moda and Jack & Jones in a £135m deal.
UK needs £1tn of investment to meet growth targets, City warns
The UK needs £1tn of fresh investment over the next decade if the government is to have any success in hitting its economic growth targets, a City taskforce has warned.
Analysis A new flashpoint and fresh fears emerge in the South China Sea
Hopes that tensions in the South China Sea might ease have proved shortlived.
Rome may limit access to Trevi fountain to halt the effects of overtourism
Officials are considering whether to limit access to the Trevi fountain, as Rome grapples with the impact of overtourism on the baroque masterpiece.
Māori queen ascends the throne in a 'new dawn' for New Zealand
The second Māori queen in the eight-monarch reign of the Kiingitanga movement in New Zealand has ascended the throne, marking what Māori leaders have hailed as a \"new dawn\".