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The University of Central Asia (UCA) launched three new books at the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe on 12 November 2015. The books, which focus on the history and cultures of the Pamir region of Tajikistan, include Archaeological Map of the Eastern Pamirs by Mira Bubnova and two volumes in The Musical Arts of the Pamirs series by Nizom Nurdjanov, Fayzulla Karomatov and Bahriniso Kabilova.

 

Bahriniso Kabilova co-author of The Musical Arts of the Pamirs addressing guests who were present at the launch.

“This series is widely viewed as the most comprehensive work on Pamir music to-date and UCA is pleased to have played a role in preserving this heritage,” said Dr Bohdan Krawchenko, UCA Director General and Dean of Graduate Studies.

The three recently launched books (top) are part of UCA's larger Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit collection.

The Musical Arts of the Pamirs is a five-volume study on folk music, oral history, dance and theatre traditions of the Pamir region. The series is the culmination of 40 years of field work conducted by Nurdjanov and Karomatov, with support from the Art History Department of the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography named after Ahmad Donish at the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. The fourth and fifth volumes in the Musical Arts of the Pamir series were launched at the event.

Nizom Nurdjanov co-author of The Musical Arts of the Pamirs.

The fourth volume, on Tales, Epics and Legends, presents epics, musical fairytales and humorous songs of the Pamirs.  The work of local and classical poets, such as Nasir Khusraw, Sanoi, Attor, Abdurrahman Jami and Shams Tabrezi, are also featured. The fifth and final volume covers Instrumental Music, including melodies for instruments and ensembles and lyrical songs based on local, folk and classical Tajik-Persian poetry. A section is dedicated to talented musician and singer Navruzsho Kurbonaseynov. The book concludes with a section on lyrical songs performed by artists of the Khorog Music and Drama Theatre named after Rudaki (now named after Mehrubon Nazarov), which was founded in 1936 and continues to foster the rich musical and poetic traditions of the region.

 

The first volume in the series, on Musical Heritage of the Pamirian Tajiks focuses on lyrical songs based on both popular local texts and genres and classical Tajik-Persian poetry. Volume two, on Musical Performance and Dances of the Pamirian Tajiks, describes folk music and performing arts of the region, highlighting the complex musical-dramatic genre of song and dance performances. The third book, Ritual Music: Birth, Wedding, and Funeral, describes the music, performances and epics that accompany Badakhshani family celebrations and festivals.

Distinguished scholar Mira Bubnova, author of Archaeological Map of the Eastern Pamirs (left) congratulated by Dr Elmira K?ch?mkulova, Head of the UCA Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit.

Archaeological Map of the Eastern Pamirs is the second in a two-part series on the unique history, artifacts and preservation of archaeological relics of the Pamir mountains. Based on extensive fieldwork, the publication includes unique maps and illustrations and original research on 300 monuments, as well as the history of communities of the Eastern Pamirs, from the Middle Ages to contemporary times. The companion volume, Archaeological Map of the Western Pamirs by Bubnova, was published in 2008.

 

Archaeological Map of the Eastern Pamirs and The Musical Arts of the Pamirs Volumes I-V are published by UCA’s Cultural Heritage Book Series, a collection of works aimed at preserving Central Asia’s unique and diverse cultural heritages. They were published with support from The Christensen Fund under the project Preserving Cultural Heritage and Promoting Research in Central Asia: Support to Local Scholars.

 

The project is implemented by UCA’s Central Asian Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit to promote understanding across cultures and generations by supporting Central Asian scholars in original and high-quality research, publishing and disseminating their work to regional and international audiences. Under the project, UCA supported the publication of six original titles by scholars from Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

 

To purchase books in the UCA Cultural Heritage Book Series, please contact: publications@ucentralasia.org