Yol Bolsin
Yol Bolsin is an intriguing new export traveling west on Asia's Silk Road. The debut of 25-year-old Uzbeki singer and doutar player Sevara Nazarkhan, the album combines the rich musical tradition of her Central Asian country and fuses it with the modern sounds of noted French-Algerian producer Hector Zazou. Like much of the best stuff to come out on Real World, the combination here is timely and timeless, with Zazou's modern sounds simply providing a tasteful backing to the plucked, lutelike lines of Nazarkhan and fellow doutar player Toir Kuziyev. A pop star in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, Nazarkhan has a soaring, conservatory-trained voice that conveys myriad emotions with range and an intonation enriched with deft shading. It's a voice that puts her in a league with such modern global pop divas asNatacha Atlas,Gigi, andSheila Chandra. Particularly strong are the hauntingly ambient "Galdir," the undulating "Moghulchai Navo," and the surprisingly funky title track.--Tad Hendrickson