Rachel Harris and Saeid Kordmafi attended Uzbekistan’s 2nd International Maqom Festival which was held in Zomin province, in the Jizzakh region of southeastern Uzbekistan. They presented papers at the Maqom Art Conference, organised by the Yunus Rajabi Institute as part of the festival, alongside colleagues from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, France and the US.
Rachel Harris spoke on the historical, religious and musical connections between the maqām traditions of Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, and the Uyghur Twelve Muqam.
Saeid Kordmafi’s paper explored the role of tempo and rhythmic density modifications in the formation of musical enchantment (ṭarab) in the classical music of the Arab Mashriq.
Speakers at the Maqom Art Conference
Khorshed Ibrohimzoda, who performed at SOAS earlier in the year alongside Sirojiddin Juraev, won first prize for vocal art in the competition for his extraordinary performance of Shashmaqom.
Khorshed Ibrohimzoda at the Maqom festival
The jury’s grand prize went to Arabshahi Ensemble from Iran. Their drummer is also a member of Nasim-e Tarab Ensemble who will tour Europe and the UK in Autumn 2024; the first of the border-crossing creative projects supported by Maqām Beyond Nation.