Uyghur Music & Dance

Music plays a big role in the lives of the Uyghur's. Since way back when, the Uyghur's have been known for their extraordinary music & their ethnic dances. Music is played at every event that is hosted whether it be a party, a wedding, a festival, or just a holiday. Not only is there music, but of course there is dancing as well!
The most well known genre of music is the Muqam. Muqam is a compilation of songs, dances, and folk/classical music. Some songs are solo while others are in unison. There are groups and duets. It is characterized by its diversity of not only content but also the instruments used as well as the dance styles and the musical morphology. The Muqam genre of music is associated with a variety of aspects such as mood, style, smell, pitch, tone of voice, time/place, and also the person. It tends to be known for the variations and the continuity of musical patterns. The songs are reflective among proverbs, poetry, folk narrative, love, and other popular topics.
Muqam can be broken down into four different categories. These categories include Twelve Muqam, Dolan Muqam, Turfan Muqam, and Qumul Muquam. The "mother of music" is Twelve Muquam. It is based around the concept of wisdom. It also is based around the talent of the Uyghur people regarding music.
Uyghur dance is very optimistic. It represents bravery and openness. It is characterized by its distinct wrist movements and head movements. The dances, as a whole, represent the character of the Uyghur's and it expresses their feelings. They have great coordination. They involve a specific posture which usually includes a tilted head, a chest thrust, and an ejected waist. Some folk dances include a shivering movement of the knees.

Props are involved in some folk dances. They are popular but they include great skill and talent. With this being said, they are generally performed by professionals. Some of these dances include the Plate dance, Sapayi dance, and Stone-Beating dance. The plate dance is when a bowl is placed on top of the head and a plate is held and beaten with chopsticks. Sapayi is a folk instrument. Stone-beating is holding two stones in separate hands and hitting them together to produce sound.

Sanam is the most popular folk dance. It is often performed at weddings or festivals. Dolan dance is much like hunting or a battle. Sama dance is usually done to bring in the New Year. It can be considered a ritual that turns into a group celebration.

Uyghur Cultural Survival

Uyghur’s face many obstacles. A main obstacle they come across is being accused of being terrorist. This is something they have to deal with everyday and learn to overcome. They also have to face their ongoing war with the Chinese for their freedom. Separatism is a big issue for them. They are accused of having links to Central Asian and Pakistani Islamist militants, and of carrying out attacks to establish an independent state called East Turkistan.

Currently, the Uyghur’s are facing the link between them and the missing Malaysian airplane.

Movement of the Uyghur’s from rural areas to towns has had a major imact on the ethnic identity but they still manage to maintain it by keeping their traditions the same and practicing their religion. In a way the movement actually strengthens their identity. Keeping their language unique to them also is something that maintains their identity as well. To do this, they stay inside their own region and they have strong social groups.

Interview

Uyghur Migrations and Diaspora

Xijiang is the homeland of the Uyghur's because China encourages internal migration into that province to increase the non-Uyghur population elsewhere. Most of the Uyghur's that reside outside of China are in Central Asia and the population has also spread throughout Eastern Asia as well. These minorities are mostly in Kazakhstan but some are also in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikstan. As a whole, the Uyghur diaspora numbers at around 550-650,000.
The Uyghur's generally migrated from China in waves. This was due to the deteriorating conditions following the collapse of the dynasties. Uyghur diaspora communities have formed associations aimed at preserving Uyghur collective identity such as the language and the culture.

Uyghur and their Neighbors

The Uyghur's have an ongoing conflict with the Chinese. Uyghur's in China face religious restrictions such as imprisonment and executions. They do not associate with them unless it is through fighting. They often are depicted to be a victim of them. They are said to be discriminated against. If they travel outside of their region they have trouble finding any kind of work and they are even afraid to speak their own language around the Chinese. There are even laws against Uyghur's marrying the Chinese. It is almost like a form of racism in a way. The Uyghur's live in fear of being labeled as a terrorist. People many times compare them to terrorists. If the Uyghur's are in the same town as the Chinese they even separate themselves by using different time! The Chinese view the Uyghur's as backwards. They say they are lazy and ungrateful. It is believed that China hates the Uyghur's so much that they try to move into their region just to overpower their population.
There as been an ongoing movement since the 1950's to separate the Uyghur's and give them freedom from China and independence. The Chinese government has fought against this. They claim the Uyghur's to be outlaws and terrorists. Most believe in peaceful acts for nationalism but some do participate in violent clashes. They have been quite a few wars or clashes between the two groups and many people have died. In 2009 there was a riot killing between 100-200 people. Not only that, but at least 800 people were injured.

Birds of the Uyghur

Around 430 bird species have been recorded in the Xijiang region. Many of these birds are European and Central Asian species. This is unlike any other part of china. Living in the autonomous region, there are 21.81 million inhabitants. The birds are scattered among four different reserve regions within. These include The Tarim Nature Reserve, Quinggeda Lake Nature Reserve, Karamaili Nature Reserve, and the Lop Nor Nature Reserve.

The Tarim Nature Reserve has 140 bird species documented in the area. It works to preserve and protect the Euphrates Poplar Forest Ecosystem. In this region, there is a river wetland that is very significant for large flocks of migratory birds. There are 41 bird species under the Sino-Japan Migratory Birds Protection Agreement and there are 13 bird species that are under the Sino-Australia Migratory Birds Protection Agreement. 

The Quinggeda Lake Nature Reserve was established specifically to protect rare bird species. This place is great for birds covering 30 square kilometers. There have been 186 bird species recorded in this area. This reserve is a breeding habitat for birds such as Whooper Swans, Great Bustards, Pallas's Fish Eagles, and also 28 other species which are protected under the National Key Protection.

The Karamaili Nature Reserve is considered to be a paradise for wildlife! It has abundant water access and not much interference concerning anthropogenic. Birds have a great food resource due to the vast amount of rodents. This reserve has documented over 200 bird species!

Lop Nor Reserve is the largest desert nature reserve in China. The vegetation is very sparse. The 96 bird species in this region have surprisingly been able to adapt to the rough nature condition in this area. There are rare and endangered bird species in this region. They include Black Stock, Tibetan Eared Pheasant, and the Dalmatian Pelican.

Uyghur Cosmos

Uyghurs have a variety of beliefs. As for religious beliefs, they have believed in Shamanism, Manicheam, Jing, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. Currently, most believe in and follow the islam religion. Most converted during the 11th century. Their religion influences their life greatly. There are festivals to celebrate that are related to the islam religion. These festivals include the Corban Festival, the Kaizhai Festival, and the Almsgiving festival.
When it comes to eating, Uyghurs eat all the rice they are served at every meal. If they do not it is considered insulting. Everyone must wash their hands before eating. Splashing your hands in water is unacceptable and it signifies discourtesy. The younger people must sit with the senior members of they family. Pancakes or as they call it, nang, cannot be eaten if it is upside down. Last, but not least, modest clothing is a must while eating.
As for marriage, when a woman is proposed to, after telling the family the next step is a marriage interview. A marriage interview is a way of making the relationship public and legitimate. It is also used to make sure that the groom knows everything their is to know about his future wife.
A few other beliefs are that exit doors should not face west. While sleeping, you should sleep on your back with your head facing east. When meeting, males shake hands and touch their chest with both hands. Woman also must salute.When receiving a gift it is important to use both hands or it is said to be very disrespectful.
After a death Quranic prayers are chanted.The body is then cleansed. Once the body is cleansed, it is wrapped up into white gauze.