Silk Road soundtrack returns in full volume

Among these, the Twelve Muqam is most widely known. Consisting of 12 complete compositions, it takes about 24 hours to perform in its entirety.

Yet, this celebrated tradition once nearly disappeared. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, economic upheaval, social change and the decline of oral transmission pushed Muqam to the brink of extinction. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xinjiang's local government began urgent efforts to preserve it. 

In 1956, Muqam master Turdi Ahun and musician Wan Tongshu led a team and took great pains to record most of the vocal melodies and librettos of the Twelve Muqam on tape and paper. Four years later, two volumes of Twelve Muqam sung by Turdi Ahun were published, marking the beginning of its documented revival.

Their efforts paved the way for the renaissance of this cultural tradition, enabling more people to know and understand Muqam. As one of the Chinese government's significant efforts to preserve and inherit this art, the Muqam Art Troupe was established in Xinjiang's Urumqi in 1989 and has staged performances in over 140 countries and regions, Wang says.

For Abliz, who has traveled to more than 20 nations with the troupe to perform Twelve Muqam, the art's emotional resonance is universal, especially in countries and regions in Central, South and West Asia, as well as North Africa, and others along the ancient Silk Road.

"Muqam originated from daily life. We celebrate love and life with it, and such emotions are shared by people all across the world. We hope to help more people understand this art and like it," says Abliz.