Promoting Ancient Culture Through Music in Uzbekistan Reporter: Rajan Parajuli 3rd October 2013 Slug: Uzbek music

festi al !"#RO $ore t%an &0 countries participated in t%is 'ear(s !nternational $usic )esti al %eld in Uzbekistan* !t(s an annual e ent organised b' t%e Uzbekistan go ernment to promote ancient music from across t%e globe* Some come from countries +%ere pla'ing music is a dangerous acti it'* Rajan Parajuli %as more from t%e cit' of Samarkand in Uzbekistan* #,-# S)-.$US!/ PR0/#!/, 212'ear2old 3a+ood Paz%man is practicing a song +it% %is friends in a small %otel room* 304OO3 /lip 15$ale6 ,nglis%7:8#%is song is basicall' about t%e lo e* !n t%e song6 t%e bo'friend is sa'ing to %is girl friend6 +%' 'ou are not coming to t%e illage* 9ou make me sad about t%at*8 #%e' all come from a small illage in nort%ern 0fg%anistan* $usic6 %e sa's6 +as ne er an eas' c%oice* 304OO3 /lip 2 5$ale6 ,nglis%7:84%en ! +as a c%ild and ! tried to sing song +it% m' fat%er6 $uja%idin came and asked6 +%' are 'ou doing t%is: $usic is harram* !n #aliban if t%e' kno+ 'ou are musician or singer6 t%e' +ill kill 'ou* $' mot%er6 e er'one in m' famil' +as cr'ing* ! said ! didn(t do an't%ing +rong* 0nd %e sa'ing6 t%is s%ould be t%e last time of singing*8 3a+ood didn(t sing for more t%an ; 'ears6 let alone perform in front of an audience6 for fear of being killed* <ut %ere*** %e is in %is element* S)-.3a+ood singing )olk music from t%e United States*** S)-.)O=> $US!/ US0

*** to ancient musical instruments from !ndonesia*** in danger of e?tinction* S)- !ndonesian music 9ou can find man' different kinds of traditional music %ere6 sa's !rina <oko a* S%e(s t%e general director of t%e U" cultural bod'6 U",S/O* !R!"0 /lip 1 5)emale6 ,nglis%7:8#oget%er +e belie e intangible %eritage is t%e source of creati it'* <uilding on t%e past our ision is for+ard looking a ision of sustainabilit'* !ntangible %eritage is one of our strongest essences to build t%e future +e +ant for all* #%is is +%at +e celebrate in( S%ar@ #aronalari(*8 Orient $elodies6 or S%ar@ #aronalari6 as it(s kno+n in Uzbek6 is one of t%e largest cultural e ents in /entral 0sia* Once e er' t+o 'ears6 %undreds of talented singers6 dancers and musicians gat%er %ere in Smarkand to s%are t%eir art* 0ncient music in some countries is d'ing*** <ut %ere at t%e festi al6 it(s celebrated in a competition* S)- music competition 0ll musicians and singers compete for an a+ard for t%e <est )olk Songs and <est 0ncient $usic* $unojot 9uldas%e a from Uzbekistan is on t%e judging panel* $unojot6 /lip 15)emale6 Uzbek7:8#%e festi al actuall' %elps musicians6 artists and culture lo ers to s%o+case t%eir lost music toget%er to t%e +orld and bring it back to life* $usicians from Sout% 0merica6 ,urope6 0frica and 0sia are participating in t%e festi al* #%e' get a c%ance to inform people about t%eir traditional cultures* 0nd our a+ard and t%e small amount of prize mone'6 +ill encourage t%em to promote t%eir local culture as muc% as possible* S)-.$US!/0= /,R,$O"9 0ll t%e musicians can s%are t%eir music %ere at Registan S@uare* S)-.!SR0,=! S!"A,R S!"A!"A #%e' don(t understand eac% ot%er6 but t%e' all s%are a common language in music6 sa's Aalit Aiat6 a popular singer from !srael*

A0=!# /lip 1 5)emale6 ,nglis%7:8Of course +e don(t understand and +e don(t need to understand t%e language* 4e just need to understand t%e language of music6 just t%e +a' to e?press 'ourself6 bring 'ourself and 'our music and t%at(s it* ! t%ink t%e %eart is more important* 4%en ! +as going up in t%e stage6 ! just tried to concentrate on t%e feeling t%at ! +ant to gi e to t%e audience* ! +as speaking in m' language and ! felt t%at t%e' reall' understood me*8 S)-.!SR0,=! SO"A #%ousands of people are dancing to t%e !sraeli song*** including B02'ear old construction businessman <ato'or !smolo * 0s an Uzbek6 it(s t%e first time %e(s listened to !sraeli music* <0#O9OR6 /lip 15Uzbek6 $ale7:8! can onl' speak Uzbek and Russian* Cere ! can listen to man' languages t%roug% t%e music and songs* 4%en ! listen to it for t%e first time6 ! learn it b' %eart* 0nd +%en ! listen for a second time6 ! can sing along +it% t%em*8 S)-.0)A0"! $US!/ 3a+ood and %is team from 0fg%anistan +on second prize in t%e music competition6 out of a total of &0 countries* <ut back %ome6 %e can(t find a job as a musician* Ce no+ +orks in a finance department* <ut music %as become %is true passion*** %e(s tra elled to #ajekistan and to t%e United States to s%are %is music to t%e outside +orld* Ce +ants to spread a message of peace t%roug% %is music* 304OO3 /lip 3 5$ale6 ,nglis%7:84%en +e meet t%e people6 and people talk about us6 +%ere are 'ou from: ! sa'6 from 0fg%anistan* #%e' are s%ocked* #%e' are t%inking t%e bad +a'* O>D 0fg%an people are killing* 4e just prepare cultural s%o+ to s%o+ t%at 0fg%an is not like t%at* 4e sing t%e song about t%e peace6 %elping people coming toget%er6 be toget%er*8 )or 0sia /alling6 ! am Rajan Parajuli returning from Samarkand Uzbekistan*