When CGTN Digital reporter Nadim Diab set foot in Shache, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Chinese mainland, he heard something more than melody: he found the beating heart of a people.
Muqam is not just any music – it has been called the "Mother of Uygur music", and as Diab discovered at a local heritage center, it is the soul of the Uygur people. The Twelve Muqam, a suite of epic compositions, has been passed down from mouth to ear for centuries, weaving together poetry, percussion and haunting melodies.
At the center, inheritors of this intangible treasure shared their learnings in a series of powerful workshops. Diab joined them in song, adding his voice to a chorus that felt like history alive. "It is in our blood", one master musician told him, highlighting how each note carries stories of love, struggle and celebration.
After years when younger generations drifted towards modern beats, local efforts to revive the Muqam have gained momentum. Workshops, community performances and intergenerational classes have brought hundreds of young people back to the tradition, ensuring it will not fade away.
For global citizens seeking to understand cultural resilience, Muqam revival in Shache offers a vivid example: when a community rallies around its heritage, music becomes more than art – it becomes identity, memory and hope for the future.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
