History
Heart of Asia
Afghanistan is marked as an ideal location for cultural diversity. The Silk Road passed through Afghanistan and to India, making it a merchant ground for different cultures. Afghanistan was included in the domain of several empires—Greeks, Persians, Mughals, Islamic, Mauryans, Ghaznavids, Timurids, Durranis— as well as being part of Greater Iran and Greater India. As such, Afghanistan could be considered the heart of Asia in which music and cultures of varying countries would be able to thrive.
Communist Regime
Afghanistan fell under the communist regime in 1979. Music was seen as a method of secularization under communist rule and was thus transmitted widely under strict guidelines. Communist authorities supported traditional folk music because they saw it to be more personal to the Afghan population. T.V and radio were used as the primary methods of musical broadcast for propaganda purposes. Singers were only allowed to perform songs praising the new regime while those who refused would be exiled. However, large cities like Kabul were least effected by communism and popular Afghan music was able to thrive.
Civil War
The fall of the Soviet Union in 1992 triggered the end of the communist regime in Afghanistan and prompted a civil war. Kabul, which is both the national capital and cultural center of Afghanistan, was destroyed by the various political parties fighting to succeed the communist government. A large portion of the population fled Afghanistan to escape the violence. Refugee camps banned music as it was disrespectful to perform when family members were dying and living in miserable condition. Consequently, music from Afghanistan remained undocumented during this time. Afghans were forced to make and perform music outside of Afghanistan, mostly in Pakistan, because of the violence caused by the civil war. Afghan musicians performed traditional Pashtun love songs at festive events such as weddings.
Taliban Regime
In 1996, the Taliban gained control of the majority of Afghanistan, thus beginning the Taliban regime. The Taliban regime is best characterized by a combination of Sharia law, or Islamic law, and Pashtunwali, which is the Pashtun tribal “code of conduct.” The Taliban deemed everything western and everything geared toward pleasure as un-Islamic, including music. The Taliban established and enforced extremely strict laws and violent punishment. The Taliban also massacred civilians, and oppressed minority groups and women. Music and television were completely banned, as they were declared as violations of Sharia law. Musical instruments and recordings were destroyed and publicly displayed to silently enforce the ban.
U.S Invasion
The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 ended the Taliban regime. As the government shifted from theocratic authoritarian rule to a democratic government, the ban on music was lifted, allowing the people of Afghanistan to renew their participation in this rich cultural tradition. The ban on women singing on the radio was formally lifted in 2004, completely ending musical restriction. The destruction of musical instruments and recordings, however, has made it difficult for the new generation of Afghans, especially those who are former expatriates, to learn about traditional music. Despite this, musicians have been able to revive traditional folk songs, merging them with elements from other countries. Foreign elements are quite prevalent in Afghan music especially because of the large number of Afghans who have lived and studied music in countries other than Afghanistan, namely India, Pakistan, Iran, and much of Western Europe. Genres, like rock and hip-hop, which have been used as mediums of political and social criticism are slowly becoming successful in Afghanistan because of the newly established democratic government, although they are still not nearly as popular as music that is more closely tied to Afghan culture.