{
  "id": 17178646,
  "title": "In Afghanistan, musicians defy music ban to keep traditions alive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/in-afghanistan-musicians-defy-music-ban-to-keep-traditions-alive",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T05:08:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/2026/10/30/in-afghanistan-musicians-defy-music-ban-to-keep-traditions-alive"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kabul, Afghanistan (AP) — In a nation where music once filled the streets, the Taliban's ban has forced musicians to defy the law in order to keep their traditions alive. For decades, the war-afflicted capital's music district echoed with the sounds of cafes, restaurants, and homes. However, since 2022, playing or listening to music has been strictly prohibited by the Taliban, with the morality police enforcing the ban. Many musicians fled the country, but those who remained have faced significant hardships.\n\nDespite the ban, some musicians still manage to play in secret, risking arrest for preserving their cultural heritage. A musician in a hidden home plays traditional instruments like rubabs, a plucked lute-like instrument. He vows to continue playing, even if only in secret, to ensure Afghanistan's rich musical traditions aren't silenced. Similarly, a singer echoes these sentiments, stating that while music can't be performed openly, it remains in their hearts. Both musicians, speaking anonymously for fear of arrest, express their deep emotional connection to music, which once gave them fame and livelihood.\n\nThe rubab player, a former school teacher and instrument shop owner, lost his business and income overnight. His father, a musician, also died recently, a loss he attributes partly to the ban. Meanwhile, the singer spent two years unemployed before starting a small business. The ban has forced many musicians into poverty, yet their passion for music continues to drive them to defy the Taliban's ruling.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Taliban bans music in Afghanistan, risking arrest for musicians",
    "Musicians defy ban, play traditional instruments secretly",
    "Ban forces musicians into poverty despite passion for music"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Taliban’s strict prohibition forces artists into clandestine performances and economic hardship, turning cultural preservation into a dangerous act of defiance against state-mandated silence.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}