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Sunday 9 January 2011
Monday 3 January 2011
Musical Afghanistan; Fear of Traditional Music Extinction
"People have lost their interest in our music," said Din Mohammad Saqi, teacher of a classical local instrument. "We are all to blame for this."
When the 2001 US-led invasion overthrew the Taliban government, it ushered in huge social as well as political changes. Nowhere was the upheaval more apparent than in the nation's capital.
Under the Taliban, pastimes including kite flying and music were branded un-Islamic and criminalized across the country. Cassettes were strung to trees as a warning to anyone who opposed the regime's strict interpretations of Shari`ah laws.
After years of fighting between the rival militias of the Mujahideen, the once- thriving city of Kabul fell silent. People had peace and security, but little in the way of entertainment. Even simple pleasures risked a prison sentence.
That has finally changed under the American and NATO occupation. For almost a decade, the capital's streets have been full of life, with stores and restaurants blaring music from loud speakers and even motorcyclists listening to radios fitted to their motorbikes.
However, the songs that can be heard are often not the work of traditional artists. Instead, they are hits recorded by Afghans to resemble modern Western, Indian, or Central Asian pop music, rather than the more subtle sounds of a land famed for its own rich history and culture.
Saqi said this shift in style was having a profound impact, with it becoming harder to find stores making, selling, or repairing classical stringed instruments like the rubab ortambour.
"We don't even have teachers to teach our new young artists how to play these things," he complained.
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| The songs that can be heard are often not the work of traditional artists. |
Traditional Music At Risk
Hayat Gardezai shared such concerns. As general manager of Afghanistan's 2500-strong singer union, he believes decades of war and displacement have left an indelible mark on the musical scene.
"When our youths went to other countries like Iran and Pakistan, they were alone and had no teachers. There, they learnt the Western styles," he said.
The demand for songs with a foreign tinge is everywhere. In Kabul's bazaars, young men and women seek out the latest tracks on CDs and cassettes, rather than the work of local artists who were formally revered.
Inevitably, this means increasing numbers of singers and musicians are continuing to change their sound as they try to tap into a new generation that wants something different.
Traditional Afghan music is still widely listened to in the countryside, but in cities, the songs played today are almost unrecognizable from those recorded before the occupation.
In the space of a relatively short period of time, the musical landscape has been revolutionized, and artists who do not keep up know they risk being left behind.
Noorullah Wafa opened his musical instrument shop soon after the downfall of the Taliban regime.
"Our business is good, but you asked me about Afghan instruments, and for that, I can tell you there is no market," he said.
"People are buying Western instruments like pianos, keyboards, and other things."
The growing influence of foreign culture has upset and angered religious scholars in the country, who often claim it is part of an American-led plot to undermine Islamic values.
But the changes could well be here to stay. One popular TV show has Afghan men and women from across the country competing in a national singing competition. And even at wedding parties, couples are asking for the new styles of music.
Mirwais Noori is a 20-year-old singer who, having been trained in the classical fashion, gave in to demand and adopted a more modern approach when performing with his band.
"Day by day, Afghan music is going missing," he said. "Western music has taken its place." (onislam)
Saturday 1 January 2011
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