For centuries Central Asia has been a crossroads of civilizations, peoples, and societies, a land in between East and West and a territory contested by political powers. Its modern history—from imperial and Soviet domination to the emergence of independent nation-states—has witnessed a profound transformation of its political and social geography, calling for a re-evaluation of Central Asia as a region, not least in terms of its expressive cultures and music.
Musical geographies of Central Asia presents abstracts and podcasts of papers and performances presented at the conference of the same name that was held at the University of London on 16 through 18 May 2012. This free Internet resource is published by the Agha Khan Development Network and sponsored by the Agha Khan Trust for Culture.
Above, a Tajik šašmaķom ensemble; below, an example of Tuvan höömej, often termed “throat singing” in English.
Related article: Two Rivers: A Journey Through Central Asia (newyorker.com)
