PATTERNS OF IDENTITY IN UZBEK FOLK MUSIC ARTS

Abstract

Uzbek folk music arts constitute a vast and intricate sonic tapestry, one that functions as a primary and dynamic medium for the expression, negotiation, and preservation of identity. This article posits that identity within the Uzbek context is not merely reflected in but is actively performed and patterned into existence through musical practice. The folk music tradition, encompassing the epic narratives of the baxshi, the lyrical songs of daily life and ritual, the instrumental repertoires of the dutar and tanbur, and the communal dance melodies, encodes a complex matrix of belonging. These sonic patterns articulate geographical origin, social structure, spiritual worldview, and historical consciousness. Through an analysis of performance practice, melodic mode (maqom and regional tune), lyrical content, and the social context of musical events, this paper explores how musical arts serve as audible maps of regional identity, as vessels for communal memory and ethical codes, as agents in life-cycle rituals, and as resilient markers of cultural continuity in the face of modernization. The argument is advanced that to understand Uzbek identity, one must learn to listen to its patterns - the rhythmic cycles that ground it, the melodic contours that give it shape, and the poetic verses that tell its story. Folk music is not an accompaniment to life; it is a fundamental thread in the very fabric of being Uzbek.