STRUCTURE OF THE VOCAL (ASHULA) SECTION OF SHASHMAQOM AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This study analyzes Shashmaqom - the highest example of musical heritage of Central Asia, particularly of the Uzbek and Tajik peoples - in terms of its historical development, structure, divisions, and performance traditions. The instrumental (cholg‘u) and vocal (ashula) sections of Shashmaqom, their subdivisions and branches, the internal structure of maqams, and the ghazals and rubaiyat of classical poets used as lyrics in ashula are examined. Additionally, the study highlights the teaching, preservation, and contemporary performance significance of Shashmaqom. The research also considers the development and pedagogical study of Shashmaqom through cultural centers in Uzbekistan and Central Asia - specifically the schools of Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, and Khorezm.