As part of the opening of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent, SHASHMAQOM. THE METHOD, created by the Safo.Method creative community, was presented with sponsorship support from Probuild Generation.
The project combined the tradition of Shashmaqom with contemporary forms of music and performance, offering a new way of experiencing the cultural heritage of Central Asia.
Shashmaqom is a classical music tradition combining vocal and instrumental practices. In 2008, it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a transnational element of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage.
SHASHMAQOM. THE METHOD offers a contemporary interpretation of this musical tradition. The project’s creative director, Anvar Safo, combines traditional instruments, including the tanbur, with the modern sounds of the hang, glockenspiel and synthesised sound.
The musical programme is complemented by archival materials, visual elements and other sensory experiences, creating a unified performance space.
The project also draws on the ideas of Uzbek educator and Jadid intellectual Abdurauf Fitrat, who studied the history and theory of Uzbek classical music.
“We see the country’s development not only through the lens of infrastructure and economic growth. Sustainable development is impossible without culture, education and preserving the connection between heritage and modernity”
SEVARA URUNOVA, HEAD OF MARKETING & PR
