Force of Nature calls us (ENG)
In the last couple of weeks, I have been struggling to find something new in music that inspires me or adds some joy to my life. With this motivation, I started surfing new music genres like electro, techno, and rave culture. I came across some Spanish, Japanese, Nordic, Arabic, and Native American artists. Electronic music and techno-rave culture were not something strange to me. But, somehow, if I will describe it in modern slang, I was not catching the vibe.
Couple of days ago, we started to discuss techno music with our editor, and he said, "In our region (Central Asia) we also have techno festivals like Burning Man". I started digging up what, where, when, and how.
The Festival is called Stihia, which means "force of nature," it takes place in the small town of Muynak, Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan. The unique thing about this little town is that Muynak was once a port city by the Aral Sea and home to a fishing community. But in the 1960s, because of the Soviet agricultural project, they started diverting rivers that fed the sea. And as everybody knows, it has caused the Aral Sea to dry up. Now, Muynak is not only just a small town but also a ship graveyard.
The reason why Stihia is held every year in Muynak is not only because of its apocalyptic vibe but also because it invites people to pay more attention to ecological disasters in Central Asia. Stihia is not just another music festival. It includes seminars and lectures about ecology, biology, and political science at the local Aral Sea museum. The other unique thing about Stihia is the opportunity that it creates for emerging artists to be known. As well as bringing international DJs and artists to the Stihia festival, Stihia is a compelling platform for showing themselves to DJs from the Central Asian region.
From my subjective perspective, this is something new in our region and very promising. As I watched several videos from this festival and read several articles about Stihia, it seems like not only a techno-rave festival for hipsters, instead it's a big "Toy" (party) that is held with the local community. By that, Stihia founders involve local citizens in the decision-making process.
The Stihia festival is normally held in Muynak every year from 31 August to 2 September except last year and this year. Last year they changed place to give some time and respect to Karakalpak people. This year they held a festival beside Tudakul Lake. Nevertheless, it does not mean that the concept of the festival changed. Stihia festival is a huge opportunity for musicians and artists from Central Asia to get to know each other.
Also, DJ Alina Zhalikova participated the festival this year from Turkmenistan. I have reached out to Alina to learn more about her experience in Stihia. As she said, "For now, I can't share anything else than emotions but it doesn't mean end of our story. In upcoming weeks there will be another big project and after that I'll be glad to share experiences." If you want to get more information or if you want to join as an artist, you can visit the festival's official website stihia.org. Stihia festival is a huge opportunity for musicians and artists from Central Asia to get to know each other. If you want to get more information or if you want to join as an artist, you can visit the festival's official website stihia.org,
