Afghanistan’s Rubab: A Timeless Melody Under Siege

In the dimly lit workshop of Herat, wood shavings tell a story of resilience. Sakhi, a master craftsman, carves a rubab—the lute-like national instrument of Afghanistan—defying a Taliban regime that seeks to silence music. With each stroke, Sakhi preserves not just an instrument but an identity.

“The heritage must not be lost,” says Sakhi, crafting two rubabs monthly in defiance of an almost total ban on music in Afghanistan. Recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, the rubab’s history stretches back thousands of years, its soulful twang resonating as a symbol of Afghan pride.

Since their 2021 return to power, the Taliban have imposed strict bans on music, shuttering schools, smashing instruments, and forcing musicians to flee or abandon their craft. Public music performances, radio broadcasts, and even private celebrations have been silenced.

Musicians like Gull Agha, whose teacher’s rubab was destroyed by the Taliban in the 1990s, now play in whispers. Gull’s own rubab was smashed, and he was forced to promise to never play again. Yet, he defies this vow in secret, strumming for tourists and hoping to pass on his skills to the next generation.

“Rubab is an art… and art brings peace to the soul,” he says.

Despite the suppression, hope remains. Musicians inside and outside Afghanistan are determined to keep the rubab alive. Mohsen, a member of an artists’ union, chokes back tears as he recalls brighter days when music brought joy to Afghan lives.

“People don’t play for money now; they play to ensure the music survives,” he says. “No force, no system can silence its sound.”

For Majid, a former performer in Kabul, picking up his rubab after three years felt like rebellion. Though damaged by Taliban morality police, his 35-year-old rubab remains his “dear companion”—a symbol of endurance against tyranny.

“Music is never lost,” Majid reflects. “There can never be a death without tears or a wedding without music.”

As musicians and craftsmen like Sakhi fight to preserve the rubab, the stakes are more than cultural—they are existential. The rubab embodies Afghanistan’s soul, its strings weaving tales of love, resilience, and defiance.

Though the Taliban’s regime seeks to silence it, the rubab’s melody persists, echoing through history as a testament to a nation’s unyielding spirit.

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