Various Artists – Lost In Tajikistan (Riverboat Records, 2023)
Nestled amidst the majestic mountains of Tajikistan lies an exquisitely rich musical heritage, a hidden gem veiled from the curious gaze of the wider world. The album Lost In Tajikistan unveils a captivating collection of musical compositions deeply intertwined with the melodic tapestry of neighboring lands, most notably Afghanistan.
This mesmerizing auditory journey highlights the graceful strokes of traditional string musical instruments such as the setor, dotar, rubob, tanbur, and a vibrant ensemble of transfixing percussion wonders.
Producer Lu Edmonds invited highly skilled instrumentalists such as the groups Mizrob, Samandar, and Samo, as well as remarkable vocalists, including Davlat Nazar, Sulton Nazar, and Shanbe.
Lu Edmonds lent his expertise to preserve these extraordinary performances. The recordings took place in 2008 in the capital city, Dushanbe, the enchanting Pamiri town of Khorog; and two neighboring villages in the Ghunt valley. These timeless recordings only provide a fleeting glimpse into the vast expanse of Tajikistan’s mountain music, a tradition steeped in time that has absorbed the passage of the Silk Roads and beyond over the course of millennia.
Musicians: Iqbol Zavkibekov on setor & guitar; Zarif Pulodov on percussion & vocals; Davlat Nasri on harmonium, dotar & vocals; Samandar Pulodov on guitar, bass, vocals & lab chang; Nobovar Choronov on vocals; Dyadya Yasha Ilyaev on flute; Shavqmahmad Pulodov on rubob & vocals; Fayzmahmad Nazariev on tanbur & vocals; Shanbe Mahmadgaminov on ghijak & vocals; Daler Palaev on daf & vocals; Qurbonhasen Alishaev on daf & vocals; Davlat Nazar on setor; Sulton Nazar on rubob & vocals; and Shanbe on vocals.
Back in 2004, musician Lu Edmonds (The Damned, Public Image Ltd, Mekons, Waterboys and Billy Bragg) travelled to Tajikistan as an interpreter for a biodiversity project funded by TCF (The Christensen Foundation).
Release date: 2023/08/25
Buy Lost In Tajikistan.
Author: Claudia Taylor
