Dr. Saeid Kordmafi conducted one-month fieldwork from September to October 2023 in Uzbekistan, as an integral component of his engagement in the “Maqam Beyond Nation” project. Delving into the rich musical culture of Central Asia, Dr. Kordmafi travelled to various cities across Uzbekistan, including Bukhara, Samarkand, Fergana, and Tashkent, engaging with esteemed music institutes and master musicians of the venerable traditions of maqam.

This field trip was underpinned by a few research topics. Firstly, Dr. Kordmafi sought to explore the nuanced stylistic variances in maqam performance in Uzbekistan, with an emphasis on the tripartite delineation of Fergana-Tashkent, Bukhara, and Khwarazm stylistic paradigms. Moreover, the research extended to an exploration of rhythmic organisation as well as the aesthetics underpinning text-setting practices intrinsic to vocal repertoires in Central Asian classical music.

Weekly group performance and discussions engaging the maqam instructors. Maqam Centre, Bukhara, October 2023

Ustad Rahmatollah ‘Enayatov (Vocal), Ilham Isma‘ilov (Tanbur), Ibrat Sa‘adollaev (doira). The Art (San‘at) College, Bukhara, October 2023

 

 

Tags: , , , ,