| Sevara Nazarkhan Yol Bolsin |
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The former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan is the world's third largest producer of cotton. It is one of the two "doubly landlocked" countries in the world, surrounded entirely by countries which have no coastline. It has large reserves of natural gas and oil, and is the home of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent, major cities on the Great Silk Road. But that's not important: what is important is that it is also the home of Sevara Nazarkhan. Her CD Yol Bolsin fuses traditional Central Asian music with Western influences -- samples, electric guitars, keyboards -- in a mix which is truly "World Music." These are songs which wouldn't be out of place on a flat dusty steppe or in a chillout room. But is it Goth, you ask? Here's a sample lyric from "El Nozanin (Beautiful)", helpfully translated into English on the liner notes: Oh beautiful one, I am going crazy with your beauty,
And here is another from "Yol Bolsin (Where Are You Going?)" Look at the flower. Some world music purists may scoff at this CD, because of its "pop touches." They forget that "World Music" doesn't exist in a glass case. Rock and pop music can be found in Uzbek markets, or heard on Russian and Uzbek-language radio stations. Hector Zazou's sampled electric guitar fits in perfectly alongside Toir Kuziyev's doutar (two-stringed lute) and his electronic beats provide a counterpoint to Shurat Mirusmanov's doira. In Uzbekistan "folk" music isn't something embalmed; it's a living tradition, which incorporates new influences as it preserves old ones. Above all this is Sevara's voice: her powerful trills, strong as the noonday sun and delicate as a mirage, have an edge of melancholy which evokes heartache, longing, and the endless lonely desert. Classically trained at the Tashkent State Conservatoire, she takes folk, peasant and Sufi melodies and makes them not timeless but immediate. It's easy to see why she's a major star in Uzbekistan... and why she could, or should be, a major star worldwide. If you like World Music, you're almost certain to like this one. If you haven't yet been exposed to Something New, this is a great start. It's different enough to be interesting and tuneful enough to go down easy, and its melodies will slip into your subconscious like sand blown on a hot desert wind will slip past your defenses. Broaden your horizons; buy this CD. (And, if you get a chance, see Sevara Nazarkhan live when she comes to your town with Peter Gabriel). 1. Yor-Yor (Song to the Bride) Sevara Nazarkhan Website
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