Uzbekistan: Musical Traditions of the Karakalpaks

The ancient, orally-transmitted epic tradition of the Karakalpaks, woven with the songs they sing in their everyday lives, forms a rich musical tapestry in the arid land of Karakalpakstan (an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan). From lullabies, Jew’s harp solos, wedding tunes to the guttural cantillations of jirow bards, life stories of epic heroes sung by baqsy bards, creative performances on dutar, and instrumental pieces played by small ensembles, these recordings provide a panoramic view of Karakalpak music. They were drawn form 10 hours of field recordings made in 2000 during an expedition conducted under the aegis of the UNESCO office in Tashkent. 73 minutes, 22-page notes.

This is a previously-unpublished volume of the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music, which was transferred to the Smithsonian to keep the series publicly available.