The Burka Band (or the Blue Burqa Band) is an Afghani all-female indie rock band formed in Kabul in 2002.[1] They perform anonymously, all of the members wearing burqas in an apparent protest against the Taliban's rules regarding Islamic dress. They released a single, "Burka Blue" and a self-titled album in 2003. The song came about during a workshop at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, sponsored by the Goethe-Institut in October 2002.[2] Blue-colored burqas, also called "shuttlecock", are native to Afghanistan and a symbol of Afghan culture.[3]
The group gained some popularity in Europe[citation needed] in the 2000s, and toured in Germany,[4] where one of their songs was remixed by the DJ Barbara Morgenstern.[5] A YouTube video of a performance of theirs has circulated widely.[citation needed] Singing in burqas was a joke, but also necessary to avoid retaliation by religious fanatics, according to Nargiz, a member of the band.[6]
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