Afghanistan National Institute of Music

Last updated
Afghanistan National Institute of Music
Location
Information
EstablishedJune 20, 2010
DirectorDr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast
Website http://www.anim-music.org/

The Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) is an exiled school of music that was formerly operated in Kabul, Afghanistan until the recapturing of Kabul by the Taliban and is currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. [1] It was founded in 2010 by the Afghan-Australian ethnomusicologist Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast, and offers a curriculum combining the tuition of both Afghan and Western music. [2] [3] ANIM is a co-educational institute. [4] [5]

Per an agreement between Sarmast and the Afghan Ministry of Education, the school accommodates both exceptionally talented students and underprivileged children. [2] [6]

History

In 2006, Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast, then a Research Fellow at the Monash School of Music and Asia Institute, of Australia's Monash University, returned to Afghanistan to assess the situation after many years of living in exile. [7] A second trip was made in 2007 to discuss the implementation of the pilot project with the Afghan authorities and more precisely, the rebuilding of music education through establishing a dedicated music school for disadvantaged Afghan children. In April 2008, after two years of negotiations with Afghan authorities, Sarmast went again to Afghanistan to lead and implement the establishment of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). [7]

In 2013, ANIM's Afghan Youth Orchestra toured the United States, including performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. [3] [6]

In 2014, a suicide bomb attack at a student concert killed an audience member and the bomber, [8] and injured many more, including Sarmast himself, who lost some of his hearing. [9] [10] [11]

In 2015, the first Afghan female conductor, 17-year-old Negin Khpalwak, held her first concert with an all-female ensemble. [12] [13] [14] [11] As of 2018, a third of the 250 students are female and the proportion is growing; [12] in 2019, Sarmast took the all-female Zohra Orchestra on a European tour. [9]

In 2018, the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and Sarmast were awarded the Polar Music Prize. [15]

After the Taliban's recapturing of Kabul on 15 August 2021, everything was destroyed, including all the school's instruments, and ANIM's administrators and students relocated to Lisbon, Portugal. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan</span> Country in Central Asia

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's capital and largest city. According to the World Population review, as of 2023, Afghanistan's population is 43 million. The National Statistics Information Authority of Afghanistan estimated the population to be 32.9 million as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabul</span> Capital and the largest city of Afghanistan

Kabul is the capital city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into 22 municipal districts. In 2023 its population was estimated to be 4.95 million people. In contemporary times, Kabul has served as Afghanistan's political, cultural and economical center. Rapid urbanisation has made it the country's primate city and the 75th-largest city in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taliban</span> Islamist militant organization in control of Afghanistan

The Taliban, which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is an Afghan political and militant movement with an ideology comprising elements of Pashtun nationalism and the Deobandi movement of Islamic fundamentalism. It ruled approximately 75% of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, before it was overthrown by an American invasion after the September 11th attacks carried out by the Taliban's ally al-Qaeda. The Taliban recaptured Kabul in August 2021 following the departure of coalition forces, after 20 years of Taliban insurgency, and now controls the entire country. The Taliban government is not recognized by any country and has been internationally condemned for restricting human rights, including women's rights to work and have an education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Afghanistan</span>

The music of Afghanistan comprises many varieties of classical music, folk music, and modern popular music. Afghanistan has a rich musical heritage and features a mix of Persian melodies, Indian compositional principles, and sounds from ethnic groups such as the Pashtuns, Tajiks and Hazaras. Instruments used range from Indian tablas to long-necked lutes. Afghanistan's classical music is closely related to Hindustani classical music while sourcing much of its lyrics directly from classical Persian poetry such as Mawlana Balkhi (Rumi) and the Iranian tradition indigenous to central Asia. Lyrics throughout most of Afghanistan are typically in Dari (Persian) and Pashto. The multi-ethnic city of Kabul has long been the regional cultural capital, but outsiders have tended to focus on the city of Herat, which is home to traditions more closely related to Iranian music than in the rest of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabul University</span> University in Kabul, Afghanistan

Kabul University is one of the major and oldest institutions of higher education in Afghanistan. It is in the 3rd District of the capital Kabul near the Ministry of Higher Education. It was founded in 1931 by King Mohammed Nadir Shah, whose prime minister at the time was his younger brother, Sardar Mohammad Hashim Khan. Approximately 22,000 students attend Kabul University. In August 2021, before the Taliban takeover, nearly half were female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Zahir</span> Singer, songwriter and composer

Ahmad Zahir was an Afghan singer, songwriter and composer. Dubbed the "Elvis of Afghanistan", he is widely considered the all-time greatest singer of Afghanistan. The majority of his songs were in Dari followed by Pashto, with a few in Russian, Hindi and English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamiat-e-Islami (Afghanistan)</span> Primarily Tajik political party in Afghanistan

Jamiat-e-Islami, sometimes shortened to Jamiat, is a predominantly Tajik political party and former paramilitary organisation in Afghanistan. It is the oldest and largest functioning political party in Afghanistan, and was originally formed as a student political society at Kabul University. It has a communitarian ideology based on Islamic law. During the Soviet–Afghan War and the following Afghan Civil War against the communist government, Jamiat-e Islami was one of the most powerful of the Afghan mujahideen groups. Burhanuddin Rabbani led the party from 1968 to 2011, and served as President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 2001, in exile from 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Afghanistan</span>

Education in Afghanistan includes K–12 and higher education, which is under the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education. In 2021, there were nearly 10 million students and 220,000 teachers in Afghanistan. The nation still requires more schools and teachers. Soon after the Taliban take took the country in August 2021, they banned girls from secondary education. Some provinces still allow secondary education for girls despite the ban. In December 2022, the Taliban government also prohibited university education for females in Afghanistan, sparking protests and international condemnation. In December 2023, investigations were being held by the United Nations into the claim that Afghan girls of all ages were allowed to study at religious schools. As of November 2024, some parts of the country allow women to attend religious schools to pursue dentistry, nursing, and other subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)</span> 1992–1996 civil war in Afghanistan

The 1992–1996 Afghan Civil War, also known as the Second Afghan Civil War, took place between 28 April 1992—the date a new interim Afghan government was supposed to replace the Republic of Afghanistan of President Mohammad Najibullah—and the Taliban's occupation of Kabul establishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on 27 September 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Directorate of Security</span> Former national intelligence and security service of Afghanistan

The National Directorate of Security was the national intelligence and security service of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The headquarters of the NDS was in Kabul, and it had field offices and training facilities in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. The NDS was part of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Afghanistan</span> Rights of females in the country Afghanistan

Women's rights in Afghanistan are severely restricted by the Taliban. In 2023, the United Nations termed Afghanistan as the world's most repressive country for women. Since the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban gradually imposed restrictions on women's freedom of movement, education, and employment. Women are banned from studying in secondary schools and universities, making Afghanistan the only country to prohibit females from studying beyond the sixth grade. Women are not allowed in parks, gyms, or beauty salons. They are forbidden from going outside for a walk or exercise, from speaking or showing any part of their face or body outside the home, or even from singing or reading from within their own homes if they could be heard by strangers outside. In extreme cases, women have reportedly been subjected to gang-rape and torture in Taliban prisons.

The Centre d'Enseignement Français en Afghanistan (CEFA) consists of two Franco-Afghan schools in the center of Kabul, Afghanistan, together educating around 6,000 Afghan students.

The Afghan Youth Orchestra is an exiled youth orchestra that was formerly based in Afghanistan. It was founded by the Afghanistan National Institute of Music under the Ministry of Education. In 2013, the orchestra travelled to Carnegie Hall to perform for an American audience with the aim of spreading peace. After the Taliban takeover in 2021, the Afghan Youth Orchestra and its parent institute is relocated to Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Kabul Serena Hotel shooting</span> Terrorist mass shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan

On 20 March 2014, Taliban militants carried out a mass shooting in the restaurant of the Kabul Serena Hotel, in Kabul, Afghanistan. The shooting, which took place in a hotel popular with foreigners and wealthy Afghans, killed nine civilians, including five foreigners. The attack was a shock to many as it took place in a heavily fortified area of Kabul.

Ahmad Naser Sarmast is an Afghan-Australian ethnomusicologist. He is the founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negin Khpalwak</span>

Negin Khpalwak is a female conductor leading the Zohra - the first all-female orchestra in Afghanistan from Afghanistan National Institute for Music. In February 2017, the orchestra played at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zohra Orchestra</span> All-female orchestra in Afghanistan

The Zohra Orchestra, also known as the Afghan Women's Orchestra and Ensemble Zohra, is Afghanistan's first all-female orchestra, named after the music goddess in Persian writings. Founded in 2015, it has been in exile since the 2021 seizure of Kabul by the Taliban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Republic of Afghanistan</span> 2004–2021 government of Afghanistan

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was a presidential republic in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2021. The state was established to replace the Afghan interim (2001–2002) and transitional (2002–2004) administrations, which were formed after the 2001 United States invasion of Afghanistan that had toppled the partially recognized Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. However, on 15 August 2021, the country was recaptured by the Taliban, which marked the end of the 2001–2021 war, the longest war in US history. This led to the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, led by President Ashraf Ghani, and the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate under the control of the Taliban. While the United Nations still recognizes the Islamic Republic as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, this toppled regime controls no portion of the country today, nor does it operate in exile; it effectively no longer exists. The Islamic Emirate is the de facto ruling government. The US–Taliban deal, signed on 29 February 2020 in Qatar, was one of the critical events that caused the collapse of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Following the deal, the US dramatically reduced the number of air attacks and deprived the ANSF of a critical edge in fighting the Taliban insurgency, leading to the Taliban takeover of Kabul.

Khalil Rahman Haqqani, also reported as Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, Khalil al-Rahman Haqqani, Khaleel Haqqani, Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, etc., is a Pashtun Warlord, former Mujahideen leader and Specially Designated Global Terrorist in Afghanistan. He has been the acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation in the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime since 7 September 2021. He has been a prominent member of the insurgent Haqqani network.

The politics of Afghanistan are based on a totalitarian emirate within the Islamic theocracy in which the Taliban Movement holds a monopoly on power. Dissent is not permitted, and politics are mostly limited to internal Taliban policy debates and power struggles. As the government is provisional, there is no constitution or other basis for the rule of law. The structure is autocratic, with all power concentrated in the hands of the supreme leader and his clerical advisors. According to the V-Dem Democracy indices Afghanistan was as of 2023 the 4th least electoral democratic country in the world.

References

  1. ↑ Mirna Alsharif; Marc Smith (8 August 2024). "The Taliban tried to silence these young musicians. Now they're playing Carnegie Hall". NBC News. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 Gallagher, Kimball. "Dr. Ahmad Sarmast on the Afghanistan National Institute of Music". Notes on the Road. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 Ross, Alex (March 4, 2013). "Border Crossings East meets West at Carnegie Hall". The New Yorker . Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Ryan, Rosanna (August 7, 2015). "Emma Ayres on her new adventure: teaching music in Afghanistan". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Coren, Anna (September 21, 2012). "Music school strikes chord with Afghan street kids". CNN . Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 Scherer, Barrymore Laurence (Feb 11, 2013). "Making Music Against the Odds". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Our History". Afghanistan National Institute of Music | ANIM. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  8. ↑ Rasmussen, Sune Engel (2015-05-25). "He was the saviour of Afghan music. Then a Taliban bomb took his hearing". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  9. 1 2 Haider, Arwa (December 6, 2018). "Ahmad Zahir: The enduring appeal of the Afghan Elvis". BBC - Culture. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ Khalil, Shaimaa (10 November 2015). "Afghanistan's first female conductor". BBC News. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  11. 1 2 Bezhan, Frud (August 9, 2015). "The Day Afghan Music Didn't Die". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  12. 1 2 Khalil, Shaimaa (November 10, 2015). "Afghanistan's first female conductor". BBC . Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Girls find their Place in Afghanistan's Music Institute". World Bank . Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  14. ↑ "Afghan woman defies odds to pursue her dream". Deutsche Welle . 6 August 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "The Afghanistan National Institute of Music". Polar Music Prize. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ↑ Talmazan, Yuliya (18 November 2021). "Afghanistan's only music school completes exit from Kabul fearing Taliban crackdown". NBC News . Retrieved 15 August 2023.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.