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  Various Artists
The Rough Guide to the Music of Central Asia (World Music Network RGNET 1129
CD, 2005)
The countries represented on this CD- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan -were until 1991 remote regions of the Soviet Union
known mostly for the slendor of the Silk Road trading route that once passed
through them and the cities built along it. Clueing the rest of the world in on
the music of the area has been a long time coming, and this collection
introduced me to a fair number of sounds with which I was previously unfamiliar.
A few of the artists (Sevara
Nazarkhan, Ashkabad,
Yulduz
Usmanova) have gotten
some notice globally, though the exposure of most beyond their home countries
has been far more limited. Even so, some have clearly absorbed outside
influences including rock (Kazakhstan's Ulytau) and rap (Tajikstan's Nobovar and
Shams Group) that tend to dampen the traditional richness that most of the disc
opts for.
Long-necked lutes are a key instrument in these countries and various ones
are heard both plucked and bowed in solo and supporting roles. Such instruments
coupled with the nomadic nature of many Central Asian people gives the music a
longing, expansive feel that to my ears seems to very much bridge the sonic gap
between the Middle East and the Orient. And like the popular music in those
places, Central Asian music is rife for techno experimentation, also heard to a
degree on this album.
Still, it's the traditionally-geared stuff I go for, and there's no shortage
of that. The soaring voice of Ayjemal Ilyasova is quite a spine-tingler, as is
the odd but intriguing kobyz (shaman's fiddle) solo by Raushan Orazbaeva. A duo
called Farzin score with a reggae-ish romp, the National Ensemble of the
Presidential Orchestra make a short but very sweet showing and the
aforementioned Ashkabad build a marvelous number around some feverish frame
drumming. Despite a few aimless selections, this is a grand introduction to an
area many have yet to explore musically.
[Buy the
Rough Guide to the Music of Central Asia].
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