Burka Band

The Burka Band (or the Blue Burqa Band) was an Afghan all-female indie rock band formed in Kabul in 2002.^[1] They performed anonymously, all of the members wearing burqas in an apparent protest against the Taliban's rules regarding Islamic dress. The members were never officially identified to protect themselves from threats.^[2] The band was formed during a music workshop and was considered both a political statement and a necessity to safely perform. They released the single, "Burka Blue" and a self-titled album in 2003. The song came about during a workshop at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, sponsored by the Goethe-Institut in October 2002.^[3] Blue-colored burqas, also called "shuttlecock", are native to Afghanistan and a symbol of Afghan culture.^[4]

The group gained some popularity in Europe in the 2000s, and toured in Germany,^[5] where one of their songs was remixed by the DJ Barbara Morgenstern.^[6] A YouTube video of a performance of theirs has circulated widely.^{[citation needed]} Singing in burqas was a joke, but also necessary to avoid retaliation by religious fanatics, according to Nargiz, a member and the drummer of the band.^[7]

According to several online interviews the Burqa Band is on permanent hiatus after the lead singer moved to Pakistan to pursue a music career.^[2] Their last tracked activity on MySpace dates back to 2007. Some accounts under their same name are present on Spotify, although it isn't confirmed whether it's really them.