Levin invites the reader to accompany him and his fellow research, known as OM, on a musical journey through the 'stans, especially Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It's a wild ride. There's something here for everyone. Levin goes beyond Central Asian music, which is fascinating in itself, to encompass issues of history, culture, regional politics in a post-Soviet world. The technicalities of Central Asian music may momentarily bore the non-specialist, but Levin's way of emphasizing the meaning of music to the people who hear and perform it makes this work accessible to a general audience.

world music fans, seekers after unusual gift ideas, undergraduate students who want to explore a new topic, and music specialists. Even if music is not your primary interest, this book is great way to explore culture and contemporary problems in Central Asia, a region with a rich cultural heritage that faces significant challenges in today's world, especially in the rea of human rights.

Levin's account of the 1970-1971 deportation of the Yaghnobi people from Tajikistan's highlands to cotton farms in the Hungry Steppe. This little-known disaster of Soviet planning destroyed the lives of a peaceful mountain people and their decendants still live with the effects today. That their story is so little known just adds to their tragedy, but Levin presents one of the few reliable English-language accounts of this event, combining historical research with his own experiences with the Yaghnobi people.

is an ethnomusicologist with a special focus on Central Asia. He has travelled to many locales rarely seen by Western eyes and exudes an obvious passion for his work.

I'm not able to comment on the quality of the accompanying disk, as I was unable to obtain a copy with the disk included. However, I can't imagine that the disk does anything but enhance the experience of reading the book. For a review of another Central Asian music collection, go to my portfolio and check out my other product reviews.

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Created Apr 04, 2006 at 3:04pm • Submit your own review...