Sharq Taronalari, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 26-30 August 2019 (Ghazaleh Taalimoghaddam)

The twelfth edition of the festival “Sharq Taronalari” (meaning “Melodies of the East”), wears the sumptuous guise of state officiality, as a central demonstration for the cultural policies of exchange and cooperation undertaken by Uzbekistan, an extraordinary millennial cradle of civilization, at the center of the historic Silk Road, evoked only to pronounce the names of the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. The promotion of the inestimable local musical culture in an international dimension is, in fact, crucial in the new political phase of strong expansion and openness towards international tourism. “Sharq Taronalari”, one of the largest musical events in Central Asia, which every two years fills the heart of ancient Samarkand, is among the top events of the country. In fact, every two years the city of Shakhrisabz hosts the International Forum on Art Maqam (the shashmaqam uzbeko is on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), with the next meeting scheduled for 10-15 September 2020. Termez, in the south of the country, on the border with Afghanistan, is the venue of the newcomer: the Bakhshi Art Festival, dedicated to orality sung and narrated, whose second edition will be held from 5 to 10 April 2021. Finally, there is the International Festival of the Great Silk Road of Margilan, in the Fergana valley, whose next appointment is scheduled for 11-13 July 2021. The ancient center of the legendary, ancient capital of Amir Timur (known by us as Tamerlane) hosted the concerts of “Sharq Taronalari” (www.sharq-taronalari.uz), with his jewel Registan became for five days the formidable setting.

The square is dominated by the complex of three majestic buildings, one of the oldest Medrassa Junta down to us, characterized by the abundance of blue-colored maline mosaics. On the western side stands the oldest, the Medressa of Ulugbek, there is, then, the dirimpy Medressa Sher Dor (“of the Lion”), while in the center is the Medressa Tilla-Kari (“Golden Dress”). In 2001 this crossroads of cultures was declared a World Heritage Site. Thus, it is no coincidence that in the sumptuous opening ceremony of August 26, a flood of national music and dances, of parades of actors in bright costumes and even of final fireworks, after the introductory words of the President of the Republic of the Uzbek Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who stressed how the festival is configured as a platform for dialogue between cultures and peoples, the general of the United Nations,art and music, universal heritage to be preserved. And, above all, with musical art, universal language, which fosters understanding and intercultural dialogue between peoples. To the concert proposals of 32 groups, for a total of over 340 artists, often on stage in traditional clothes, evaluated by a jury of nine members, chosen among international composers and academics, in four days was joined by a series of interesting conferences on strategies for the promotion of intangible heritage and on the state of music of oral tradition and music festivals with a privileged space for Central Asia, in which many of the more than one hundred international delegates (researchers) participated.

These, with a few thousand local spectators took part in the three musical evenings, caringly seated, even if the Uzbek artists took to the stage, the audience became inflamed, throwing themselves into the dances. No stage for the artists, who presented themselves at the center of the scene in the enchanting Registan, performing in the presence of a memorable story. It was said that it was a contest, in which the artists were evaluated by an international jury, which adopted criteria of originality of the performance, a relationship with traditional instrumental and vocal repertoires, also rendered with modern style, professionalism in exhibition, clothing and stage action. That said, there is a risk that not all artists will be able to fully give their musical proposal to their musical proposal in twenty minutes. Moreover, multi-national groups may result, to a certain extent, underrecoed, compared to those who exhibit national vestiges, although their musical quality is high. Take the case of the Mundus Trio, which unites percussionist Sjahin During, the Turkish player of kemen?e Emine Bostanci and the Iraqi virtuoso of the qinun Osama Abdulrasol. The trio residing in Amsterdam becomes the bearer of an emotional crossover of modal structure, which blends the forms of Middle Eastern music with jazz and improvisational styles. Or, again, the equally effective Ugarit, sextet that sums up Germans, Greeks and Syrians, equipped with violin, flute, ‘Ad, qonun, electric bass and percussion, struggling with a program that blends the styles of the Arab maqam, Mediterranean rhythmic elements, Western classicism and improvisational flashes. However, from Argentina to Fiji, from India to Siberia, through Singapore and Korea, and of course to all the Central Asian Republics to the Indian subcontinent, the Festival has offered an excellent-level concert booklet,

with a single fall of style, just at the opening on the 27th, when the Peruvian Luz Katharine seemed decidedly uncomfortable on the scene. To stay in Latin America, certainly convincing the performance of the Argentine Sandra Rehder, whose trio (voice, guitar and bandoneon) proposed a repertoire that ranged between the classics of tango, from Triolo to Piazzolla. In the ranks of Western artists, we were fascinated by the Spaniards Vigula for their vigorous crossing powerful voices, strings and percussion: the group interprets the traditional heritage of the Castiglie, often neglected by the high visibility of flamenco outside the Iberian borders. It was a pleasure to listen to the tenor voice of Miguel Bandeirinha, a vibrant fado singer from Porto, a very versatile talent, with a theatrical behavior, which has imposed itself with an articulated program, going far beyond the Portuguese urban song to open up to the instrumental dimension, supported above all by the Portuguese guitar interventions (André Tavares Mariano), guitar (Joana Almeida), backing vocals and percussions (Vanessa Sassine). He received extensive acclaim and received one of the three Third Prizes (who was awarded a 2000-dollar check) the Estonian duo Ruut, Katariina Kivi and Ann-Lisett Rebane, a girls joined by vocal harmonizations and the only, shared kannel, which simultaneously sound as a melodic, harmonic and percussive instrument. The Olah Roma repertoire was at the center of the Hungarian Virtuoso Performance Romengo, led by the remarkable vocalist M?nika Lakatos. Speaking of singing, we must also talk about the American quartet Henhouse Prowlers, their vocal harmonizations are exquisite: yet hearing bluegrass notes echoing in the face of the architectural wonders of the ancient thimuroid city has produced a vague alienating effect.

Among the youngest participants there were the Haray Ladies, an Iranian group, formed by six instrumentalists and singers (to note the voice of lead singer Nataran Abulhassan Zadeh Quchani), bearers of the poetic and musical richness of the multicultural Persian sound world. Admiration for the clothes but also for the synchronism of gestures, voices and percussion highlighted by the Koreans of the company EULSSU, while a real discovery was that of the young singer and player of Burmese harp Aye Su Kyaw. Turning to the main awards (because some minor awards went to Koreans, Americans, Estonians, Iranians and Uzbeks), also in third place was the young Uzbek duo from the Fergana region, composed of Azizjon Abduzimov and Ulugbek Elmurodzoda, both musicians of classical school. Remarkable the emble tagiko, Badakhshan, embellished by the sublime song of Soheba Davlatshoeva, and the Russian trio Ayarkhaan: three women of the Yakutia, who play the check-up virtuously, who are slew drums and use different vocal techniques (other than loop stations and samplers!) to masterfully reproduce the sounds of the natural environment. Also among the winners of the major awards, in second place (for them a check of 3500 dollars was written), on equal merit with the Turkmen Archabil quintet, the Hatans, a Mongolian ensemble of German residence, whose name means “nobildonna” or “queen”, which magnificently combines the viola morin khoor, the harp-cetra yatga, the lutes and the lutes..

 

the Hatan Ensemble

The female quartet has shown itself strong both in individuality and in the overall sound, combining composed arrangements with more innovative passages that play on improvisational contributions, with an expressiveness able to switch nigitimately from a struggling rantism to meditative and reflective sequences. Of great importance is the live act of the azaro Parviz Qasimov, who stood out with his elegant song, accompanied by kamancheh, tar and drum, conquering the First Prize ($5,000), shared with the acrobatics (and a bit clownish) Kirghisi brothers Kanybekov, very young virtuosos of the komuz lute, equipped with enormous instrumental technique. In the opinion of the writer, the set of Azerbaijani musicians was a top show of the festival, as well as of great refinement was the set of the excellent trio of Kolkata, Debapriya on singing and the armandal harp, Samanwaya to sitar and Madhurya to the tabla. The first two are currently among the best young Indian musicians, both pupils of excellent teachers of the Benares gharana. The three classical musicians indonta presented a combination of raga (Hansadhwani in 5 1/2 of Carnatic derivation but very widespread in the style of northern India and “Kalavati” in 16 bars) and would have deserved to climb the highest steps for technical quality and interpretative intensity. The Afghan ensemble Haft Goh, led by the Bub player Faiz Sakhi, a sextet (rubab, flute, tabla, tanbur, harmonium, zerbaghali) selected among faculty and students of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music of the University of Kabul. Also in evidence, the Armenian group of Arsen Petrosyan (born 1994), a young virtuoso of the oboe duduk, which pushes its music beyond the confines of the traditional lexicon, and the Pakistani Akbar Khamiso Khan, son of art

(his father was the legendary Khamiso Khan), himself a renowned ustad of the double flute alghoza, an instrument consisting of an melodic reed and a drone, played with circular breathing in the traditional music of the Sindh, Baluci, Punjab and Rajasthan area. Do the right thing: look for their materials on the Net! In the most exotic lot, we have seen and heard percussion and ritual songs Fijinia proposed by the duo Vou, whose line-up reduced compared to the usual did not allow to fully welcome the musical and choreutical island expressiveness. Less incisive are the Singapore yIN Harmony quartet, still looking for a North Star. Choreographic, however, with their long kokle cetres the Latvians Balti. More interesting is the folk proposal of the Kathkossian sextet Babalar Sazy, excellent soloists very famous at home, while without soars appeared the orchestral classicism of the Egyptian Takht Sharqi and that of the Chinese ensemble. Of the Uzbek patrol, the Naqsh ensemble and the pair of voice and tar, Botirjon and Kamronbeck, two more than promising students in the expressiveness of the maqom, have not reached high peaks. The Grand Prix of the “Sharq Taronalari” 2019, consisting, in addition to the prestigious award, in the check of 10,000 dollars, was awarded to the young Uzbek talent Mehrinigor Abdurashidova, nineteen-year-old player of dutar, the long-handed lute with two strings. The instrumentalist comes from a family of traditional musicians and is a student at the State Conservatory. Mehrinigor was accompanied by the doyra frame drum by Nuriddin Sunnatullaev and Murodjon Aliev, who played the kayrok chestnuts, which are just two polished stones.

One of the judges of the Festival, the Uzbek Oydin Abudallayeva, composer and academic at the top of the Department of Composition and Instrument at the State Conservatory, commented on the recognition attributed to Mehrinigor, who considers one of his most gifted students “His was an exhibition expressed with great dignity and careful in the execution of a program of two long songs, centered on materials played in the styles of Fergana-Tsh. The performance was of high quality. Mehrinigor well understands the artistic and semantic image of Uzbek music, the musical fabric was perfectly clean. In addition, in his performance he inserted elements of dance. Considering that Uzbek national music also includes the art of dance, its articulation is completely successful. Closing my eyes for a moment, it seemed to me that instead Mehrinigor there was an instrumentalist. Opening them, I realized his courageous character, which is an important fact for a creative person.” A success received with such emotion by the young instrumentalist: certainly a vibrant symbol of the generational transition of a noble instrumental tradition.