Venue: Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh.
Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm. Doors open from 7pm.
Event Description: Playing the Uzbek Dutar (plucked lute) and Doira (frame drum), Razia Sultanova will give a rendition of Uzbek female music. Women’s musical input is clearly important in preserving traditional Central Asian music and culture, but this only becomes apparent on a closer view. Razia’s choice of the feminine repertoire, which is performed exclusively indoors (in ‘Ichkari’), far from the eyes and ears of strangers, enables her to demonstrate the true richness of feminine art and culture from her part of the Muslim world. The different stages of women’s life and role in Uzbek society are mirrored in the richness of folk music in its earthy and divine dimensions. Multiple genres from lullaby to songs of love and marriage, ritual music, Sufi Zikr (remembrance of God), and mourning rituals constitute the basis of Uzbek music.

In a life that bridges both East and West Razia Sultanova was brought up in Uzbekistan and went to study at the Moscow State Conservatory, where she completed her PhD on Uzbek-Tajik Classical music Shashmaqam. Later the main subject of her research has become female music in Central Asia.

Razia Sultanova spent a long time with women from the Ferghana Valley and neighbouring areas, collecting songs and tunes from their evening parties, daily life events, celebrations, religious and spiritual rituals which are included today in her performance. Her concerts (USA, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Russia, Turkey and other countries) bring together people interested in the hidden world of true beauty and long history that is the art of the woman of Central Asia, a wisdom passed on by older women to their children and grandchildren, through music and songs.
Cost: £10/£8 (Concessions). For tickets in advance:
Contact: 0131 220 3234, Tickets Scotland LTD, 127 Rose Street, Edinburgh. Open 9am-6pm (8pm Thursday), 11am-6pm Sundays.