Austrian musicologist shares accounts of meetings with Afghan musicians
The music of displaced communities remains a powerful vessel for preserving identity, culture, and a sense of belonging—an idea that resonated strongly during a thought-provoking lecture by the Austrian ethnomusicologist Dr. Marko Kolbl in Islamabad.
Speaking on “Music and Minorities—Sonic Communities Beyond Borders,” Dr. Kolbl highlighted how minority communities across the world—from Croatian groups in Austria to Afghan diasporas in Europe—cling to their musical traditions as a way to sustain cultural continuity and connection to their ancestral roots.
The lecture, hosted by Austrian Ambassador Wolfgang Oliver Kutschera at his residence on Monday evening, drew a diverse audience including diplomats, cultural enthusiasts, media representatives, and notable public figures. Among them was Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq.
Dr. Kolbl, Assistant Professor and Chairman of the Department of Folk Music Research and Ethnomusicology at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, shared insights from his recent fieldwork in Pakistan, particularly his interactions with Afghan refugee musicians in Peshawar.
He described their situation as deeply concerning, noting that many Afghan artists—especially those who fled Kabul—are now struggling to sustain their musical practices amid an uncertain political climate and the looming threat of deportation.
“I met musicians who are finding it almost impossible to continue their art under current conditions,” he said, adding that some declined invitations to travel to Islamabad out of fear of being deported.
More than 100 Afghan musicians and artists have petitioned the Peshawar High Court to halt their forced return to Afghanistan, citing fears of persecution under Taliban rule. Reflecting on his research project “Afghan Music in Exile,” Dr. Kolbl expressed hope that his work would bring global attention to the challenges faced by these artists and contribute to safeguarding their endangered musical heritage. “Music not only connects us to our homeland, it also expresses the pain of displacement,” he said, emphasizing how themes of exile and loss are deeply embedded in Afghan musical traditions today. He also noted that several students from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), following the fall of Kabul in 2021, were admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where some have completed their degrees while others continue their studies. Earlier, Ambassador Kutschera praised Dr. Kolbl’s work, describing him as a distinguished scholar whose research sheds light on the cultural struggles of displaced communities. He noted that Dr. Kolbl has conducted extensive fieldwork across Europe and the Middle East, including Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Türkiye, and recently concluded a two-month research stay in Pakistan. In fact he left for Austria early Tuesday.
