The Mark Slobin Fieldwork Archive, Music in the Afghan North, 1967-1972
Description:
One of only four Western music scholars allowed into Afghanistan in the late 1960s, Mark Slobin's body of work is a comprehensive documentation of music, culture, language and society in the Afghan North. Completed a year before the King was deposed in 1973, and 5 years prior to the Soviet invasion and subsequent anti-musical Taliban takeover, the historical significance of this project lies not only in its comprehensive coverage of the musical landscape of the region, but in its "time capsule" nature. No further musical, and by extension cultural, studies have been undertaken since, given the region's volatile unrest. Curated selections of Mark Slobin's field research in Afghanistan, including field recordings from his survey of music in the Afghan north along with contextualizing field notes, photographs, film footage, and background text. Selections include:
- The Radio Afghanistan Series
- The Faizabād Tapes
- The Aqcha Series
- The Tashqurghān Series
- The Samangān Series
- The Andkhoi Series
- The Bābā Qerān Series
- The Herat Series
- The Baghlan Series
- The Saripul and Qizilayāq Series
Click here to read more about Mark Slobin's field experience.
Material sourced from the World Music Archive, Wesleyan University. Copyright Mark Slobin.