: The Silk Road Project: Ressurecting the Sound of Central Asia

The Silk Road, referred to by some as the “Internet of antiquity”, was used for 1500 years as a conduit for commerce and culture between Europe and Asia. Today, the area where the trade route meandered is known in the West mainly as the various “stans” on the frontlines of the “War on Terrorism”. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, however, sees a rich legacy of music that he is promoting with his multi-million dollar, globe-spanning Silk Road Project, which gathers traditional musicians from along the ancient route to play together and explore commonalities in their music. “The classical music I play was seeded by a huge range of influences,” says Mr. Ma. “The sarabandes of the Bach suites come from Moorish Spain.” The project is currently touring the world, having played for Turks in Cologne, Persians in Los Angeles, and Arabs in Dearborn.

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.