Watch a short excerpt from the 24-minute documentary film included in the CD/DVD for Music of Central Asia Vol. 4: Bardic Divas: Women’s Voices in Central Asia, released by Smithsonian Folkways in 2007. Throughout Central Asia, female musicians, dancers, and entertainers have long been an important part of social life. This film introduces ten remarkable women whose voices and instruments have made a deep imprint on the soundscape of Central Asia in our own time.

Sublime bel canto lyrical songs, the guttural recitative of nomadic oral poetry, lively humoresques, and poignant laments of unrequited love comprise this panoramic survey of contemporary women’s music from Central Asia performed by some of the region’s leading singers. A bonus DVD introduces ten remarkable women whose voices and instruments have made a deep imprint on the soundscape of Central Asia in our own time. 18 Tracks, 59 minutes, 48-page color booklet, photos, and song lyrics; DVD contains series introduction, 24-minute film, interactive glossary, and map.

Music of Central Asia is a co-production of the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The aim of the series is to present leading exponents of Central Asia's rich and diverse musical heritage to listeners outside the region.