Sharq taronalari (Oriental Melodies) is UNESCO listed international

music festival A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...

that is held in every two years since 1997 in

Registan The Registan () was the heart of the city of Samarkand of the Timurid Empire, now in Uzbekistan. The name ''Rēgistan'' () means "sandy place" or "desert" in Persian. The Registan was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal procla ...

square of ancient

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

. Vocalists from different natioans and countries participate in the festival.

History

Sharq taronalari is one of the biggest music and cultural festivals in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

. 1996 was announced as the year of Amir Temur in Uzbekistan. And a glorious statue of Amir Temur was set in the center of Samarkand. The first president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov awarded Samarkand with the special award "Amir Temur" in October 18, 1996. Since then, 18th October is considered as the day of Samarkand in Uzbekistan. Since 1997, this festival, held every two years in Registan Square in Samarkand, gathers the most talented singers, dancers and musicians from different countries of the world. Sharq Taronalari is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

listed international cultural event and is popular for those who want to learn more about Uzbekistan and its heritage. Representatives from 32 countries of the world took part in the "Sharq Taronalari" international music festival held for the first time.

The Festival

Registan is the jewel of Amir Temur's capital, the city center that attracted the brightest minds of that time. Scholars, artists, architects and poets each contributed to this legendary city, making it one of the main stops on the Silk Road and a center of learning in Asia. Centuries later, Samarkand again became the center of world culture, representatives of its people and culture take part in this international festival. "Sharq taronalari" ("Oriental Melodies") will be held on an open-air stage, equipped with the latest lighting and sound, surrounded by medieval monuments. In addition to the performances, there are also exhibitions and conferences for participants, guests and the media. According to tradition, 3 major international organizations:

, CIS, representatives of

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...

, foreign organizations and other high-ranking guests visit as guests of honor. Visit exhibitions of traditional Uzbek clothing and musical instruments, and stay for the gala concert at the end of the festival where all the nominees and winners will perform. Sharq Taronalari lasts an entire week.

Directions

Professional and amateur creative teams, as well as solo singers and musicians can participate in the contest. The works to be performed should include one of the following areas: # Folk music (song or melody); # Traditional classical music; # Modern national singing and instrumental music. The total duration of the performance should not exceed 15 minutes. Performances in all directions must be live.

References

{{Reflist Culture of Uzbekistan