Music, culture of Silk Road dazzles audience

Imamyar Hasanov shook his head from side to side as he concentrated on the music he was playing. He was not the slightest bit angry -- in fact, he seemed to be passionately agreeing with something that was not being said. His music pierced through the air; it was music that shot chills down your spine.\nSaturday evening, prior to Sunday's actual Silk Road Festival, festival director Dr. Shahyar Daneshgar and visiting musician Hasanov played a few pieces typical of Mugham. Mugham is a common style of eastern music; some forms have Western influences. Reactions to both the style and instruments featured in the works were extremely strong.\n"I definitely enjoyed the performance -- I could tell there was western influence, and I found it to be an intriguing combination," said summer workshop participant Emily Hunter. "I enjoyed both the eastern and western components."\nIn between pieces, Dr. Daneshgar explained various components and effects of Mugham. He stressed that the music relates directly to mood, and that the melodies are mainly improvisational, yet contemplative.\n"(The music) relaxes you, as if you are in a trance, as if you are in your own world," Daneshgar said. \nSunday's festival featured Mugham, but it also presented cultures and music from other regions of the world. As the director confirmed, the point of the festival was not to feature only one type of anything.\n"Music is international. By presenting this type of music, we hope to expose people to it and open up doors for cultural understanding," Daneshgar said.\nIn addition to music, the Silk Road Bayram (Festival) had booths set up from various countries and for the first time, a fashion show of native dress. The booths contained such things as handcrafted decorative plates, woven cloth caps and poems about love. \n"We are trying to present more contemporary art; we are happy to have the chance to present our culture to people who haven't heard about it," said Isik Kuscu, organizer of the booth on Turkey and president of the Turkish Student Association. "Art is the best way to present our culture."\nOther countries showcased included Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, among others. \n"I am from a lovely country and am so glad we can represent our art and culture," said festival participant and attendant of the Irani booth Sheida Riahi. "I hope it can help people to learn."\nOnce the actual music began, there was far more than Mugham to be seen and heard. The series of performances began with a group of native Chinese dancers, quickly followed by a Mongolian fiddle player. Hasanov and Daneshgar's Azeri music did not take center stage until later, yet the audience was completely enthralled by the world culture before their eyes.\nRun in close conjunction with summer workshops in Slavic, Eastern and Central Asian languages, the Silk Road Festival drew participants and audiences who are visiting IU from all over the world.\n"(I came to the Festival because) I want to see exhibitions and buy things -- I want to learn more about Central Asian cultures because I haven't read too much about them," said visiting workshop participant Noel Rivera-Calero. "These activities are not accessible where I live. It's unique"