Various Artists
Samarkand & Beyond, Music of Central Asia (ARC Music, 2007)
According to coinbox.dk, Samarkand is located on the legendary Silk Road and has been a place where various cultures met and interacted. This CD is a great introduction to the music and instruments of the area.
Several Uzbek musical styles are featured, ranging from ensemble pieces to virtuoso solos. Some of the instruments are familiar like the ney, spiked fiddles, qanun and ud. Others sound new and intriguing, such as the eerie qo’shnay (double reed). The artists featured are Dilnura, Mashriq and Abror Zufarov.
The thick booklet describes in various languages the musical instruments used and provides information about the performers. It even includes photos of instrument makers in Samarkand.
Buy Samarkand & Beyond.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
