The Uyghur Muqam is a body of classical music that combines instrumental pieces, sung poetry and dance into long suites. The best-known cycle, the Twelve Muqam, runs to around twenty hours of music in total and is usually performed in sections, sometimes over successive evenings at a wedding, a festival or a private gathering. It was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in 2008.
What it sounds like
The instruments are distinctive: the rawap, a long-necked plucked lute; the dutar, with two strings; the satar, a bowed instrument; the santur, a hammered dulcimer; the dap, a large frame drum; and the kaval, a long flute. Themes repeat and develop slowly, a singer carries the melody over the cycle of percussion, and the music builds in intensity across an evening. Different regions have their own versions: the Kashgar, Dolan, Hami and Hotan muqam each have recognisable character, and the Dolan version is the most percussive.
Where to hear it
The most accessible performances are in the old town of Kashgar, where small ensembles play in teahouses, courtyards and at cultural centres in the late afternoon and evening. In Urumqi there are formal theatre productions with fuller staging, which are easier to attend but less spontaneous. A neighbourhood wedding, if you are lucky enough to be invited to one, is the real context - the muqam there is played for hours by local musicians and the dancing is not a performance.
Poetry and dance
The texts are drawn from classical Uyghur and Central Asian poetry, and the sung sections are as important as the instrumental ones. Dance is not separate from the music: guests and family members take the floor in turn, and the movement is a folk form rather than a stage routine, with distinctive hand and shoulder gestures.
Practical notes
Performances in teahouses are informal, and an order of tea is usually enough to sit and listen. Formal theatre shows need tickets; ask at your hotel. Recording is generally tolerated in informal settings but not in theatres, and it is polite to ask before filming. If you want to understand the structure before you go, listen to a short excerpt first - the muqam rewards patience rather than surprise.
