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Music of Afghanistan

Shashmaqam of Bukhara, Kazakh dombra kui, Kyrgyz komuz and Manas epic, Turkmen dutar, Tajik falak and Afghan rubab music.

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Sung and searched in Persian, Pashto. The YouTube button above can run your search in that language.

From Wikipedia

The music of Afghanistan comprises many varieties of classical music, folk music, and modern popular music. Afghanistan has a rich musical heritage and features a mix of Persian melodies, Indian compositional principles, and sounds from ethnic groups such as the Pashtuns, Tajiks and Hazaras. Instruments used range from Indian tablas to long-necked lutes. Afghanistan's classical music is closely related to Hindustani classical music while sourcing much of its lyrics directly from classical Persian poetry such as Maulana Balkhi (Rumi) and the Iranian tradition indigenous to central Asia. Lyrics throughout most of Afghanistan are typically in Dari (Persian) and Pashto. The multi-ethnic city of Kabul has long been the regional cultural capital, but outsiders have tended to focus on the city of Herat, which is home to traditions more closely related to Iranian music than in the rest of the country.

Music of Afghanistan on Wikipedia Text under CC BY-SA 4.0

A brief history

History of pop

Pop music emerged in Afghanistan during the 1950s, and became very popular until the late 1970s. What helped the emergence of pop music in Afghanistan were amateur singers from non-traditional music backgrounds who wanted to showcase their talents in the studio Radio Kabul. These singers were from middle- to upper-class families and were more educated than singers from traditional music backgrounds. These amateurs innovated in Afghan music and created a more modern approach to the traditional folklore and classical music of Afghans. Amateur singers included Farhad Darya, Ahmad Zahir, Ustad Davood Vaziri, Nashenas (Dr. Sadiq Fitrat), Ahmad Wali, Zahir Howaida, Rahim Mehryar, Mahwash, Haidar Salim, Ehsan Aman, Hangama, Parasto, Naghma, Mangal, Sarban, Qamar Gula and others. Ahmad Zahir was among Afghanistan's most famous singers; throughout the 60s and 70s he gained national and international recognition in countries like Iran and Tajikistan. The couple Farid Rastagar and Wajiha Rastagar pioneered Afghan synthpop.

Popular music

Current legal status

Since their resurgence to power on 15 August 2021, Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have implemented a strict ban on music, particularly at weddings, social gatherings, and on radio and television. Additionally, there have been reports of Taliban forces destroying musical instruments, such as an incident involving the burning of instruments in late July 2023 in Herat Province.

Read the full article: Music of Afghanistan Text under CC BY-SA 4.0

Playing now

What Afghanistan is listening to in 2026

This year's hits on YouTube YouTube's trending chart for Afghanistan 10 radio stations

Articles

No articles for Afghanistan yet. Save a Markdown file to content/articles/ with country: Afghanistan in its front matter.

Live radio

Radio from Afghanistan

Music only, no news or talk. Stations that play the local tradition come first, then the most listened. They play in the corner of the page.

Station directory by Radio Browser Streams come from each station's own server.