Central Asia – at the crossroads looking East and West

How CA and its music fits into the post-”New World Order”

  • event type:WOMEX 14 Conference
  • date:23 Oct 2014
  • time:15:00 - 15:45
  • city/area:Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
  • venue:Conference Room 1 Cidade da Cultura
  • country:Spain
  • event posted by:Piranha Arts

Presented by:

- Lu Edmonds (UK)
musician, Global music centre Helsinki

- Husniddin Ato (Uzbekistan)
director, OXUS Culture

- Kirill Kuzmin (Uzbekistan/Tajikistan)
regional coordinator for Central Asia, Aga Khan Music Initiative


Central Asia is now again at the crossroads of a series of new “Great Silk Roads” stretching from global powerhouse China though the Eurasian Union to the EU and south into the Indian subcontinent, Iran and the Arabic countries. Cut off first by the rise of European colonial sea-routes and then the Cold War, this world centre of science, medicine & music is only just beginning to reconnect with its ancient traditions of innovation & collaboration.

Two panelists from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will focus on common music heritage & cultural diversity to present efficient ways to collaborate with Central Asian professionals and networks who want to access festivals, local activists and resources for touring or musical projects.

They will reflect on 21st century geopolitical & demographic realities and hope to explore prospects for development of vital and diverse local music scenes.

(Photos: Lu Edmonds by Johnny Moto, Husniddin Ato by husniddin Ato, Kirill Kuzmin by bactria cultural centre)