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Taliban never succeeded in gaining control of the whole country, some province
like Badakhshan was Taliban-free zone and continued using tradition music
performances. In Taliban times much of the Afghan music industry was
preserved in Pakistan and countries of Europe and America by the holding of
concerts for Afghan performers there which helped to keep the industry alive.
John Baily in his article “So near, so Far: Kabul’s Music in Exile” has mentioned
notes of anonymous:
No music or musical instruments should be heard on radio or television...
Any sort of music being played on air was illegal because it has a negative effect
on peoples’[sic]psyches. (author unknown) [2, p.153].
Since the 2001 International intervention lead by US in Afghanistan and
the removal of the Taliban, the music scene has begun to re-emerge. The Post-
Taliban Afghanistan is goes through many changes and modernization. Ban on
music was destroyed. Some groups, like the Kaboul Ensemble, have gained an
international reputation. In addition, traditional Pashtun music (especially in the
southeast of the country) has entered a period of “golden years”. Feelings of self-
respect and being proud by own historical past and national identity are raised
by two ways: by governmental support and from the bottom of the ethnic
groups. Many musicians came back and formed their ensembles again. Totally
destroyed Kocha-i Kharabat has been rebuilt anew.
One of the positive initiatives was establishment of the Afghanistan
National Institute of Music (ANIM). This Institute was inaugurated in 2010 by
Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, who studied in Russia (Moscow Conservatoire) and
Australia before returning to Afghanistan in 2006. In ANIM, the young students
(regardless of their gender) learn how to play traditional and Western
instruments as part of governmental initiative to relieve the pains of decades of
war through music. Graduates of this Institute have formed Afghanistan’s first
National symphony orchestra in post-Taliban Afghanistan. They had a grand
tour to United States and performed in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.
Despite bomb attacks the administration of Institute has gave a great attention
to educating girls. Thus, the first Afghan female conductor, 17-years old Negin
Khpalwak, held her first concert with an all-female ensemble in 2015. Later on,
the number of female students reached 250, what allowed forming Zohra
Orchestra [4], which had its European tour in 2019. National symphony
orchestra (formed in 2018) in Gala concert in the 2019 includes both orchestral
instruments and Afghan traditional instruments. Along with forming Western
or mixed ensembles and orchestras in ANIM were formed several traditional
ensembles. Thus, rubab teacher Ustad Mustafa Darwish is the leader of Young
Afghan traditional ensemble [5], which included musical instruments such as
harmonium, Afghan rubab, dilruba, tanbur, ghichak, tabla, and dhol. Such kind
of ensemble is common and the most beloved in Afghanistan. The ANIM’s
ensemble is deservedly received love for their wonderful performances both in
own country and abroad (United States, Oman, South Korea, Denmark,
Argentina, Dubai, and the United Kingdom). Ustad Mustafa Darwish also

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