Breaking the Silence: A Narrative of the Survival of Afghan's Music

Abstract

Humanity currently faces a state of crisis, as it navigates the challenges of a quickly evolving world. The increasing number of conflicts and wars has had serious repercussions on human life, contributing to the displacement of populations and a growing influx of refugees. The high number of children and young people among this group requires urgent action to meet their needs for education, health, and a secure upbringing. Music education provides one platform for unique expression and identity for these age groups. In 2022, nearly a hundred young musicians from Afghanistan were welcomed into the cities of Braga and Guimarães in Portugal. They work to defend their culture through orchestral activity which has achieved international reach, thanks to the work of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). This article examines how music connects Afghan refugee youth with host communities. It focuses on the role of musical practice in fostering integration within schools and the broader urban context. Using a qualitative approach, based on ethnographic observation of this orchestra's rehearsals, this article explores the concept of affordances. Ethnographic observation was conducted throughout school activities, music workshops, and informal interactions during break periods. Field notes focused on participants' non-verbal expressions, musical engagement, and interactions with both peers and educators. These observations were used to contextualise the interviews and triangulate the data. This theoretical-analytical approach shows that, for these youngsters, music plays a mediating role regarding social actions and experiences, shaping new subjectivities and their externalisations. It is a technology of the self, of (re)adaptation, resistance, and identity re-emergence. The main argument is that ANIM's music in action is a communication tool that, like migratory processes, reconfigures the identities of its protagonists. Music has been demonstrated to function as a catalyst for connection, predominantly within the context of ensemble and orchestra rehearsals, serving as a shared language.