Will the Taliban Allow Music?

THE STATUS OF THE SCHOOL AND THE STATUS OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS UNPREDICTABLE.

THE SITUATION IS DEVELOPING VERY FAST ON THE GROUND IN AFGHANISTAN AND STILL WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL BE THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS MUSIC IN THE SECOND TIME IN POWER.

BUT THE PAST, THE TALIBAN BEING IN POWER AND THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD MUSIC, ARTS AND CULTURE IS NOT ENCOURAGING THAT WE SHOULD BE HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE.

BUT STILL, WE HOPE THAT WE SHOULD SEE THAT CHANGE IN PRACTICE.

WE SHOULD SEE THAT THEY WILL RESPECT THE MUSIC CAL RIGHTS AND CULTURAL RIGHTS OF THE AFGHAN PEOPLE THUS FAR.

MUSIC IN AFGHANISTAN HAS REALLY STRUGGLED TO COME TO THE AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE HELPED BRING TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WITH THIS SCHOOL OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, THE TWO DECADES SINCE THE U.S. INVASION THERE.

BUT THERE IS A ROCKY HISTORY BETWEEN MUSIC AND AFGHANISTAN.

IN PARTICULAR, MUSIC WAS CENSORED IN 1978 AND ONCE AGAIN ONCE THE TALIBAN CAME INTO PLAY.

DURING THAT TIME, YOU WERE BORN IN AFGHANISTAN.

A YEAR LATER, YOUR FAMILY FLED TO PAKISTAN, AND YOU GREW UP WITH MUSIC IN YOUR BONES.

YOU HAD A PASSION TO BE A POP STAR AND INSTEAD YOU TURNED TO CLASSICAL MUSIC.

TALK ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOU.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST DEVELOP THAT PASSION?

BEFORE, I USED TO THINK THAT MUSIC IS ALL JUST SINGING BECAUSE THAT WAS HOW IT WAS REPRESENTED ON TELEVISIONS AND I USED TO LISTEN TO DIFFERENT POP I WAS THINKING THAT, OKAY, THIS IS ALL MUSIC.

THERE IS MUSIC BACKGROUND AND THEN THAT'S HOW YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE POP STAR, YOU KNOW?

BUT THEN WHEN I WAS JUST TAKING MUSIC CLASSES HERE AND THERE, THEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE AFGHANISTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

AND THEN I INTERNED AND THEN THERE WAS A PROCESS TO GET IN.

THEN I REALIZED WHAT MUSIC REALLY IS.

IT IS MORE THAN SINGING.

IT IS MORE THAN LYRICS.

IT IS MORE THAN PERFORMING.

YOU KNOW?

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SO MUSIC IS JUST A LOT IN THERE.