Afghan Beats 
Radio Kabulistan Backstage Chat with Dr. Ahmad Sarmast – Afghan Youth Orchestra UK Tour
Afghan Voice Radio March 7, 2024
Dr. Ahmad Sarmast is founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). A musician from a renowned family, he fled Afghanistan when its rich musical heritage was halted by the civil war, as music was forbidden under Taliban rule. Following the nation’s liberation, Sarmast returned to Kabul to establish ANIM. ANIM offers music education in Afghan and Western classical music to students regardless of gender, ethnicity, or social backgrounds. For over a decade, ANIM flourished. Students and ensembles—including famous all-girls’ orchestra Zohra—toured the world as a positive face for Afghanistan’s future.
