Regional variation and oral transmission in Uzbek folk vocal repertoires

Abstract

This article examines the interplay between regional variation and oral transmission in Uzbek traditional folk vocal music, focusing on three distinct geographical schools: Ferghana Valley, Khorezm, and the Bukhara-Samarkand region. Drawing on field observations and comparative analysis of melodic contours, poetic meter, and performance contexts, the study argues that Uzbek folk vocal repertoires are not monolithic but rather comprise locally distinctive dialects of a shared musical language. Oral transmission, far from being a source of degradation, operates as a creative mechanism for generating and stabilizing regional identity. The article concludes that the survival of these traditions in the post-Soviet era depends on recognizing regional variation as a core, rather than peripheral, feature of Uzbek musical heritage.