So remember when I said that I wouldn’t have been able to point to Kyrgyzstan on a map? Well, continuing the theme of ‘Laura needs to learn more about geography’, today’s helping comes from a country that I didn’t even know existed. Am I the only one who had never heard of Turkmenistan before today? Which is shameful, because apparently Turkmenistan is located at the crossroads of several ancient empires, and at one point was home to the largest city in the world. Today, however, it is an authoritarian state and is considered to be one of the most repressive countries in the world. Which is why I was curious to see what sort of pop music is currently being produced in a country that has less press freedom than China. That search led me to Abadan Halmedova and “Aldama“.
Once again, this is a completely new language to me, so I have no idea what this song is about. But it has a driving beat and vibrant visuals that would not look out of place at a rave. In other words, the perfect Friday night song. I don’t know if Abadan Halmedova is a typical pop artist in her country, but I’m happy she’s able to make music despite the repressive conditions. In the meantime, I’m going to go stare at a world map for awhile to see if there are any other countries I have no idea exist.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
