(Kyrgyzstan) Every two years, a music festival called the Sharq Taronalari is held in Samarkand, at the magnificent Registan, a three sided Madrassa and meeting place built between the 15th and 17th centuries. This performance is from the 2005 festival and is by Salamat Sadikova, who is considered to be one of the greatest of Kyrgyz folk singers. Her life is a tale of triumph over poverty and prejudice, and she now enjoys a highly respected status. The beautiful song "Gülgun Jash" was composed around 1950, and is a paean to youth. The long held notes are typical of the Kyrgyz singing style, and she accompanies herself on the three-stringed Komuz, a deceptively simple looking instrument that takes great skill to play properly. And what about that hat!

(Kyrgyzstan) Every two years, a music festival called the Sharq Taronalari is held in Samarkand, at the magnificent Registan, a three sided Madrassa and meeting place built between the 15th and 17th centuries. This performance is from the 2005 festival and is by Salamat Sadikova, who is considered to be one of the greatest of Kyrgyz folk singers. Her life is a tale of triumph over poverty and prejudice, and she now enjoys a highly respected status. The beautiful song "Gülgun Jash" was composed around 1950, and is a paean to youth. The long held notes are typical of the Kyrgyz singing style, and she accompanies herself on the three-stringed Komuz, a deceptively simple looking instrument that takes great skill to play properly. And what about that hat!