Tag: Music
“If You’re Scared, You do it Scared”: How Bishkek’s Techno Scene Survives State Repression
Last April, Kyrgyzstan’s special forces carried out heavy-handed raids on two of Bishkek’s most popular electronic-music bars. Expecting a hotspot of drugs and illicit activity, officers found instead a young,… [...]
Kyrgyz luthier
One of the few komuz makers, Yrys Ava, welcomes visitors to a timeless workshop where magnificent instruments are on display. All have been handmade using traditional techniques. Credits :… [...]
The Museum of Musical Instruments of the tajik capital
Hidden behind a small door on a side street, the Gurminj Museum of Musical Instruments showcases the rich musical heritage of Tajikistan and Pamir. The impressive collection of instruments… [...]
Sex, Drugs, and Postpunk – the new album of Bishkek’s Duo Vtoroi Ka
Bishkek musical duo Vtoroi Ka has recently dropped its third album: carnivalesque postpunk in a world where nothing is as serious as it seems. Novastan’s review. “These post-Soviet cities have… [...]
Inside Bishkek’s Metal Boom: Portrait of a Music Pioneer in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek is home to a small but vibrant metal scene. In the still largely traditional Kyrgyz society, local metal artists often struggle to find an audience, produce their… [...]
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Who is Manizha, the Tajik-born singer representing Russia at the Eurovision?
Russian television viewers have chosen Manizha, a Russian singer born in Tajikistan, to represent Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest. A version of this article was originally published on Novastan’s… [...]
Spotify expands to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
Spotify is coming to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Local music distributors see the arrival of the Swedish streaming service not as a game changer but rather as another sign of the… [...]
Central Asian rap in 10 tracks
Hip hop, which appeared in America in the 1970s, has long since become a worldwide phenomenon adapting and evolving in each new environment. Central Asia is no exception, as a… [...]
Finding links between electronic and folk music in “Waiting for the Sea”
George Itzhak’s award-winning short documentary “Waiting for the Sea” connects insights into Uzbekistan electronic music scene and its traditional music with the drying up of the Aral Sea. Novastan spoke… [...]