Yo-Yo Ma Joins Afghan Refugees for a Performance in Portugal

Yo-Yo Ma joined Afghan refugees in Libson, Portugal on Tuesday for a performance of Mozart’s "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" ("A Little Night Music").

"The best defense against anything is culture," Ma said in a speech to the gathered audience at Portugal's National Conservatory. "They risked their lives for something they believed in and you, in Lisbon, opened your hearts and risked ... all kinds of things in order to do what is human."

The refugees are students from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), who fled Afghanistan in December in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of the country. Portugal granted asylum to a 273-person group from ANIM—including 150 students.

"The process of integration of our community is going very smoothly here," Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the founder and head of Afghanistan National Institute of Music, told the Associated Press. "The students are enrolled back in the school, they are going to the Conservatory, they are making music, they joined several ensembles and orchestras, they are slowly also beginning to make a wonderful musical impact on their community."

After the event, Sarmsat tweeted, "Thank you ⁦@YoYo_Ma⁩ for everything you did in the last seven-month to get us to safety and still helping, inspiring and motivating ANIM students and their peers in National Conservatory of Portugal."

Yo-Yo Ma is no stranger to political performances. A few weeks ago, he played cello outside the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He also began his performance at Washington’s Kennedy Center with a performance of Ukraine’s national anthem.

"He is very, very nice," Marzia Anwari, a teenage musician from ANIM, said about performing with Ma. "I’m so happy right now."

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