Overview:

This strategy examines issues of censorship and musical oppression in Afghanistan. A viewing of the video "Afghanistan's Musical Revival" sets the stage for considering the following: Do you think that a musician could ever be a fugitive from the law? How would you react if your government stopped musicians from performing? Would you have a difficult time connecting to your culture if it could not be expressed musically?

Connections to Curriculum:

       Social studies, computer science

Connections to National Standards:

Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.

Standard 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

Standard 9: Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Materials required:

       Computers with Internet access and Real Player software; projector and screen

Article, "Afghanistan: Musicians struggling to revive classical heritage after Taliban," by R. Synovitz (2005, November), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Video field recording, Afghanistans Musical Revival (retrieved from website above)

Objectives:

       Students will

listen to, analyze, and describe two performances of Afghanistan's national dance, Atan-i-Mili.

examine issues of musical censorship and oppression in Afghanistan. 

reflect upon the impact of musical censorship in one's country.

Suggested Procedures:

1. View the video recording "Afghanistan's Musical Revival." Invite students to respond to the following questions: 

Do you think a musician could ever be a fugitive from the law?

What did Afghan musicians do to protect their musical tradition?

How would you react if your government stopped musicians from performing?

Would you have a difficult time connecting to your culture if it could not be expressed musically?

2. View/listen again and compare the two versions of the traditional dance Atan-I-Mili, one recorded during Taliban rule, the  other two years later following the government's collapse.  Questions to prompt discussion and reflection might include --

How do you respond to each performance?

Does understanding the context of each performance influence your response? If so, how?

3. Read the article "Afghanistan: Musicians struggling to revive classical heritage after Taliban."  Suggested questions to prompt discussion --

       How is classical music passed from teacher to student in Afghanistan?

       In what ways has war threatened and endangered this tradition?

Extension:

Listen to, analyze, and compare musical examples from the classical traditions of Afghanistan and North India from the website Smithsonian Global Sound.  What features - for example, instruments, rhythmic and melodic structures, performance contexts - do they share?

Explore efforts, such as The Afghan Music Project, which seeks to highten awareness of Afghan culture through music and fund music instruction by Afghan music teachers in Kabul to Afghan youth.

Related Links: 

http://www.afghanmusicproject.org/about.htm

http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org