A year and a half after fleeing the country, the 58 young musicians of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music begin a new life in Braga, northern Portugal. For them, the survival of Afghan music and cultural heritage is a priority. In leaving his country, Ahmad Sarmast, director of the institute, set out to safeguard and revive the school he founded in 2010 in Kabul. "Afghanistan is a silent nation" where "no music is allowed" he says, "this is nothing more than a cultural and musical genocide". Speaking ahead of public performance in the Brage music conservatoire, he explains "that’s why we left Afghanistan... in the hope of giving our community the opportunity to pursue its dreams and have hope for the future." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES