This section of the website is dedicated to a particular set of recordings from the Pamir mountains. Because of the isolation of the people of Badakhshan an ancient folk art has been preserved in a way that offers us some unique insights into this living tradition that was continually reinvented within local communities. In 1992 and 1993 a collection of recordings was made to preserve this art for future generations. One of the aspects that makes these particulare recordings valuable is that they were captured on tape right after the fall of the Sovjet Union, which meant that they had a different relation to religion and to the larger religious community that they are part of today.
For an extended explanation on the music and poetry from the Pamir mountains, please see the book Minstrel Poetry from the Pamir Mountains by Gabrielle van den Berg
Introduction
Instruments
Performers
Poets
Genres
Picture Pamir Mountains Credit: Hylgeriak, Shot on 2015-06-27 in Tajikistanmap.(c) Hylgeriak, licensed under: CC BY-SA 3.0