Various Artists / Rough Guide Central Asia
Album: Rough Guide Central Asia   Collection:World
Artist:Various Artists   Added:Feb 2005
Label:World Music Network  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2005-08-28 Pull Date: 2005-10-30 Charts: Reggae/World
Week Ending: Oct 30 Oct 23 Oct 16 Oct 9 Oct 2 Sep 25 Sep 4
Airplays: 2 1 4 4 2 3 2

Recent Airplay
1. Dec 29, 2018: the acupuncture hour
Adai
4. Dec 31, 2005: New World Disorder
Az Ghami Tu
2. Oct 27, 2017: DSD
Adolatingman, Oz'begim
5. Dec 25, 2005: New World Disorder
Adai
3. Nov 29, 2013: Killer Yellow
Fergana Tanovar, Adolatingman
6. Oct 24, 2005: Asymptotic Freedom
Adai

Album Review
Sadie O.
Reviewed 2005-08-22
(Collection) - Rough Guide Central Asia (Worldisc)
Reviewed by Sadie O, 8/18/05
This collection is all over the map - in every way. Not only does the area involved stretch from China to the Middle East, but this comp features everything from "gotta get out of the village more" trad stuff to amazing rock/rap/traditional mashups. Much of it is loosely based on Persian traditions, but there's a cut that's damn near Chinese Opera, and some jew's harp and throat singing. There's some cut on this record that will add spice to any show on the station. Really!
I totally dig 11, 19 and 1. 8 and 12 are a bit of a hoot, too. Other tracks are good for trance or traditionalÅ 
1. ***Whoa! Heavy metal guitar and violin - and dombra, the traditional longnecked lute. Great energy, cool mix of sounds.
2. **Bowed and long-necked lutes, eerie downtempo instrumental.
3. **Impassioned delivery of a trad piece by an Uzbek pop diva. Somewhat sad in tone, multi-instrumental (no drums).
4. Mid-tempo instrumental. Hand drums and eastern instrumentation (mostly strings) give this a very Persian feel.
5. Male vocals with hand drum and subdued Persian lute. Impassioned Sufi poetry.
6. Virtuoso lute, instrumental solo. Uptempo and upbeat. Lots of use of harmonics.
7. VERY sad song by Uzbek's biggest pop star. I've heard much better stuff by her, but this does show her beautiful vocal style. Full instrumentation, slow, minor key.
8. **Bouncy multi-instrument with male vocals -based on a trad Tajik folk tune, but it's really a cover of "If I Were a Carpenter."
9. More virtuoso lute playing, with a bit of hand drum. It's quite fast, and may be a bit too trad for most tastes. Cool, though.
10. Downtempo solo kobyz, a two stringed fiddle used to summon spirits. Definitely trance-y and otherworldly, if a tad long.
11. ***Crazy shit! English rap, Sufi folk singing, electronica, Western and trad instruments. Do the Sufi Stomp!
12. **Jew's harp solo! Sounds like it's based on the same song as the previous cut, possibly recorded in a bathroom. Gnarly!
13. Solo dutar (two stringed strummed instrument) - odd chords and trills. Up tempo and plucked with passion, but mellow-toned.
14. Pretty female vocals, strummed instrument. Mellow and haunting.
15. Full orchestra. Sounds kinda like a Lone Ranger soundtrack with bellsÅ 
16. Apparently a favorite of taxi drivers throughout Uzbekistan. Male vox and lute with some orchestration, upbeat in mood. Probly won't strike a chord with non-taxi-drivers, though.
17. Slower and low-key, sounds very Chinese-influenced (plucked string instrument), however, it's Jewish Bukhara classical.
18. **Very ornamental and intense female vocalist. Joined by interesting trad instruments 30 seconds in, which lightens the mood.
19. ***Throat singing, Jew's harp, ocarina and flute, zither, and rock band. Holy shit!


Track Listing
 ArtistTrack Name
1. Ulytau Adai
2. Alimatov, Turgun & Alisher Fergana Tanovar
3. Nazarkhan, Sevara Adolatingman
4. Ashkabad From the Station to the Mill
5. Davlatmand Devonah Shaw
6. Nurak, Abdorahman Aktamak Koktamak
7. Usmanova, Yulduz Schoch Va Gado
8. Farzin Yod Kardam
9. Rayimbergenov, Abdulkhamit Sary-Arqa
10. Orazbaeva, Raushan Akku
11. Novobar & Shams Group Az Ghami Tu
12. Kambarkan Folk Ensemble Jygach Ooz Komuz
13. Nurgeldyev, Yagmyr Gongurbash Mukamy
14. Ilyasova, Ayjemal Song of Karkara
15. National Ensemble of Pres Orch Zhez-Kiik
16. Juraev, Sherali Oz'begim
17. Babakhanov, Ari Garduni Dugah
18. Yultchieva, Munadjat Untitled
19. Husainov, Edil Bul Bul Zaman