A few days ago I saw photos on Facebook of instruments destroyed by the Taliban at the National Institute of Music, Kabul. I immediately thought of H and her heartbreak. The Zohra female orchestra visited Australia in 2019. Music is such a life-giving force. I myself play the cello. It was upsetting to see these photos.
This is H's telling:
"I spent my entire childhood at an orphanage in Kabul and began studying music from grade four. For eight years, I studied Eastern classical music and practised sitar and vocal at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. I have had the privilege to be a member of Zohra Orchestra, the first female orchestra in Afghanistan, and of Afghanistan’s National Symphony Orchestra. I also had the life-changing experience of performing on some of world’s prestigious stages like the Kennedy Centre, Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
During this period, I was very active in many facets of school and university life. I was the lead sitar player in the Zohra Orchestra, and performed on big stages in the U.S., Europe and most of the Asian countries. You can watch some of my performances with Zohra Orchestra (I am the girl on the first row with sitar)."
"There are no words to express the feelings I had the day I saw the photos of our broken musical instruments and school destroyed by the Taliban. That day, my heart broke, my dreams were shattered and my life became dark."
Facebook post
"I studied at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music for many years and after graduation I went to India to continue my education. I studied in one of the best universities in that country and after finishing my studies I hoped to serve the music of my country. In my opinion, not only music but all young and educated people in Afghanistan are dead today and they are just breathing."