Traditional music
Uzbekistan has a musical history as long as the neck of the dotar, the country's emblematic lute. One of the first notable episodes is the appearance at the end of the 16th century of the shashmaqom. Common to both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and composed of elements similar to traditional Persian music, the shashmaqom is a repertoire of some 250 instrumental and vocal pieces. All are based on the maqôm(shashmaqom meaning "six maqôm"), an organization of melodic scale different from our scales and articulated around atmospheres or feelings. Performed solo or by a group of singers, the shashmaqom is accompanied by a set of instruments typical of the country - dotâr and tanbur lutes, sato or ghijak fiddles, frame drums and flutes - and includes interludes of spoken Sufi poetry, the ghazel (or ghazal) common to all eastern Muslim countries. Turgun Alimatov (1922-2008), a leading figure in Uzbek music and a great master of tanbur, dotâr and sato, performed numerous shashmaqom with virtuosity during his career
Musician, poet, singer - and in fact the equivalent of the bard - the bakhchi still have their place in the traditional Uzbek musical landscape. These poetry singers are the vehicles of the great epic legends of Central Asia. They are handed down from generation to generation, and tell not only stories, but also and above all traditions, founding myths, local or national glories, allowing them to remain in the memories century after century. They are sung and accompanied by a small two-stringed guitar for the melody and a tambourine for the rhythm
Although it experienced a decline in popularity during the Soviet era - it was notably banned on the radio - Uzbek folk music experienced a revival after the fall of the wall, and can now be heard a lot on TV, radio and sometimes on stage. To be sure to find some, a few restaurants in Tashkent offer some almost daily, such as thevery pleasantAfsona,Charchara,a typical tchaikhana,on the edge of the Ankhor channel, or the much more upscaleBahor. Note that a record store in Samarkand, Babur Sharipov, is one of the best addresses in the country to buy traditional Uzbek music albums.
Modern and popular music
Contemporary Uzbek popular music is largely influenced by marshmallow pop from Russia. Most of the hits come from there. Local music channels play it over and over again with a profusion of clips of sirens waddling around in bikinis and Slavic, muscular boy bands performing cheesy choreographies. In short, Russian pop is everywhere and the Uzbek equivalents mimic its aesthetics. This is the case of local mega-stars Sogdiana Fedorinskaya, Lola Yuldasheva and Rayhon. Others try to create bridges between Uzbek classical music and pop like Sevara Nazarkhan. But by far the star among the stars is Yulduz Usmonova. Adored or hated, the whole country has an opinion about him and follows his escapades with passion. Her music is a marriage between traditional music and pop or techno rhythms, topped by her emblematic voice. Her story is that of a fairy-tale princess: born into a very poor family in Namangan, she created a bad reputation for herself by coming to Tashkent unmarried to launch her career. Her success allowed her to quickly make this misbehaviour forgotten; today she is married to a rich Uzbek and has maintained excellent relations with former president Islam Karimov, of whom she became for a time the "official singer", ensuring the closing of the big official concerts on Independence Day. The Uzbek-style American dream...
It should be noted that rap, coming from Russia, is increasingly popular with the Uzbek public, a little less so with the authorities who, very much opposed to this form of protest expression, have halted any national development of the genre. Shohruh is probably the most active (and listened to) hip hop artist in the country.Classical music
Knowing a tradition of scholarly music very different from ours, there is rather little classical music - in our understanding - in Uzbekistan. That said, at the instigation of President Karimov, the National Conservatory - with its three concert halls dedicated to classical music - was established in the early 2000s. Definitely the place to hear all that Uzbekistan does best in this field. And the country also has some prodigies that are worth mentioning. Following in the footsteps of the great pianist Yefim Bronfman (now an Israeli citizen), the young virtuoso Behzod Abduraimov (1990) mesmerizes audiences around the world with his magical playing. Equally dazzling, the young conductor Aziz Shokhakimov - conducting the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul - impresses with his ardour and is one of the world's most promising conductors. Not especially renowned for its lyrical voices, the country does have a dedicated venue, the Opera Alisher Navoi, where you can attend operas and ballets.The dance
Traditional Uzbek dances always tell a story, revealed by the expressiveness of the movements and rhythms. In Uzbekistan there are three major dance schools, each belonging to a region, one of the ancient khanats: the dances of Khorezm, Bukhara and the Ferghana Valley. The latter are classical and exude a great pleasure with their fluid, curvaceous movements. The dances of Bukhara celebrate more femininity and play on charm and bewitchment through slow and precise gestures. These dances are also a reminder that the dancers of the Bukhara region were the ones who entertained the Emperor Tamerlan. They had to acquire grace, style and elegance. Finally, more brusque, ardent and fast, the dances of the Khorezm exude a great vivacity.
The dancers have bracelets of small bells on their wrists and ankles, which give rhythm to the movements and evoke a time when women were not allowed to dance. When they were caught, their arms and legs were mercilessly broken. Traditional dance dress was dictated by both history and climate. The cold of the Bukhara Desert explains why the dancers were dressed more warmly there than elsewhere, while the heat of the Khorezm imposed cotton dresses. Dress and headgear systematically differentiate the origins of the dancers.
The national ensemble "Bahor" (spring) is the most important Uzbek classical dance training. If you don't have the opportunity to meet it on stage, Tashkent offers other opportunities to attend folk dance performances. This is thecase of the El Merosi Theatre, where a show that should not be missed under any circumstances is regularly performed. With a breathtaking collection of historical costumes, the venue stages them via parades interspersed with dances. There arealso dance performances every evening while dining at the Sarbon Appetit restaurant.
