Uzbekistan’s historic city hosts Int’l Music Fest
Published on: Tuesday, October 08, 2019
By: Bernama
SAMARKAND: Neither wild horses nor the scorching summer heat could keep Jamila away from the 12th Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival here.
To catch the 7pm performance, the 61-year-old retired civil servant, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, had to leave her house as early as 2pm so that she could secure a “front-row” seat at the venue.
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In fact, the event organisers encouraged the audience to turn up by 4pm as all of them were required to go through stringent security checks and after 5pm, no one was allowed into the venue.
“This traditional music festival is held every two years and I wouldn’t want to miss it. I’m here early as I want to get the best seat,” said Jamila, speaking in the Uzbek language.
Having heard of Malaysia, she was delighted to meet this writer who, with the help of Google translate, was somewhat able to make out what she was saying.
Fortunately for this writer, her communication issues were later resolved with the help of Rozimurotova Nilufar, who is studying English at Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages; and Javlonbek Roziqov, international relations officer at the Republic of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Culture.
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According to Jamila, Sharq Taronalari – which means Melodies of the Orient – reminded her of the stories related to her by her family elders.
“We all love music... in the ancient days, people of all cultures from various parts of the world used to gather at Registan Square to sing and play traditional instruments,” she said.
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Held here biennially under the auspices of Unesco at the tail end of August, Sharq Taronalari mainly features the traditional music, dance and songs of Central Asian countries.
The 12th edition of the festival saw the participation of 340 artistes from 75 countries, including Argentina, Fiji, Latvia, the United States, Spain, Estonia and India.
Tagged as one of the biggest musical events in Central Asia, it was officiated by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Set in Registan Square, which is fringed by beautiful madrasahs (religious school) and minarets built between the 15th and 17th centuries, Sharq Taronalari is viewed as a platform to safeguard the traditional music of eastern countries, encourage new talents, promote world peace and friendship, and strengthen cooperation between Uzbekistan and other countries.
On why the prestigious music event was held in Samarkand and not in Uzbekistan’s capital city Tashkent, Unesco director-general Audrey Azoulay said Samarkand – the nation’s second-largest city – was chosen as it boasts a rich history in Islamic civilisation.
“Samarkand was where some of the most powerful empires were born and also disappeared. It was a place where some of the greatest material and intellectual wealth passed through and which was traversed by representatives of all nations, cultures and religions.
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