Address by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Solemn Ceremony Dedicated to the Opening of the XII «Sharq Taronalari» International Music Festival

(Samarkand, August 26, 2019)

Assalomu alaykum,

Dear compatriots, esteemed guests!

Dear participants of the festival!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Today, I am happy to meet with you on the beautiful land of Uzbekistan, in this ancient and incomparable city of Samarkand – the «Splendor of the Earth».

From the bottom of my heart, I congratulate all of you on the solemn opening of the twelfth “Sharq Taronalari” International Music Festival.

For over the last twenty-two years, we hold this festival under the auspices of UNESCO.

I sincerely thank the UNESCO Director-General Madame Audrey Azoulay for personally visiting our country and imparting a special charm and festive mood to our forum.

I also express profound gratitude to our dignitaries, who are participating in today’s festivity:

Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev;

Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation for Cultural Affairs Vladimir Tolstoy;

Minister of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aktoti Raimkulova;

Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic Azamat Jamankulov;

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan Shamsiddin Orumbekzoda;

Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan Atageldy Shamuradov;

State Minister of Cultural Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Muhammad Halid;

Minister for Home and Cultural Affairs of the Kingdom of Bhutan Sherub Gyel-Tshen;

Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland Pawel Lewandovski;

Member of the House of Lords of the British parliament Muhammad Iltaf Sheik;

Senator of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Ekaterina Dulova;

Mayor of Nara city of Japan Motonobe Nakagawa;

Mayor of Andong city of the Republic of Korea Young-sae Kweon;

Chairperson of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute, President of the Uzbekistan-India Council of Friendship Anil Shastri;

distinguished ambassadors and representatives of foreign states and international organizations in Uzbekistan;

media persons visiting our country to broadcast the festival to the world stage.

We welcome and highly value 340 famous persons of culture, renowned creative groups and masters of talent, who are visiting the festival from 75 countries of the world as true patriots of art, ambassadors of peace and kindness.

Welcome to our beautiful Uzbekistan!

Welcome to the grand city of Samarkand!

Dear participants of the forum!

It is well-known that many continents and countries of the world host various art and music festivals.

The «Sharq Taronalari» International Music Festival is outstanding among them with its unique place, fame and status.

Thanks to this festival, today, along with sublime palaces, which narrate the ancient history of legendary Samarkand and the pleasant air, the sweet and charming melodies resounding from this sacred land are attracting people from all over the world.

Countless magic melodies and reviving songs have been performed for nearly a quarter of century under the blue domes and starry skies of Samarkand.

The festival discovered tens of famous singers and musicians, rare young talents, gave wings, strength and inspiration to their high journey.

Most importantly, this forum has turned into a unique platform of cultural cooperation and dialogue among various civilizations, people and nations.

At the core of this festival we see the embodiment of immortal appeal of the great Uzbek philosopher and poet, our forefather Alisher Navoi, who said: «People of the world, always be friends to one another, and make the Earth a better place with your diligence and talent!»

Along with this, the wise words of the great French writer Victor Hugo, who said «Kindness and accord are a sun of a man’s spiritual world» are consonant and go in harmony with such great ideas.

Despite the fact that these thoughts were expressed several hundred years ago, they remain urgent to these days and resonate in our souls and hearts.

As a child of humanity, each and every performer who steps on this high stage, the beautiful and magnificent Registan square, irrespective of his or her nationality, language and religion ties souls to souls, people to people.

For this you deserve our utmost appreciation and high admiration.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my views on the following topic.

You are all witnessing that discussions are spiraling around generative music and artificial intelligence. Forecasts are being made that the future music will be created by machines.

However, all of us are well aware that not even the most advanced machine, can replace the human breath, motives coming from depth of his heart, charm of a live sound and the real art.

It is a Man – by Almighty’s Mercy, who creates the real art, pure and eternal music.

Today, at dangerous times of escalating differences and hostility, wars and conflicts on our planet, at an anxious time when humanity is retreating into oneself, it is a music that reminds a man about his humanly nature, brings hope and confidence in future.

As a unique humanistic phenomenon, the art of music has endless possibilities in terms of upbringing and comprehensively developing a new generation.

The youth, which are into art, have a high attitude towards life, show a high respect for national customs and traditions, as well as universal values.

And I am confident that they will step onto the stage as generation capable of saving the world from spiritual degradation, the one who will glorify mutual accord and unity.

In this regard, we would tell a simple truth if we say that music has immeasurable and incomparable, unique and divine power of influence.

Distinguished guests!

Today, we are stepping into a completely new stage of national development in our country.

The changes and transformations undergoing in all spheres of our life are also consistently continuing in the spheres of culture and art.

Drawing on the experience we have acquired from holding the «Sharq Taronalari» International Music Festival, for the first time we have hosted the International Maqom Art Festival in Shakhrisabz and the International Bakhshi Art Festival in Termez.

At the moment, preparations are in full swing to host the International Craftsmanship Festival in the town of Kokand in September.

I want to thank all of you for a broad support extended to these forums by high profile organizations such as UNESCO, ISESCO and International Organization of Folk Art, as well as by selfless advocates of art such as yourselves.

At present, hundreds of schools of music and art, academic lyceums, institutes of higher learning, theaters, concert and art-halls are functioning in our country.

I believe you will be able to visit such houses of creativity and hold meetings, which will serve as master-classes for our youth.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to put forward a proposal to all of you.

Should any of you wish to come and teach our youth at our conservatories or universities, I will give you my personal support.

Dear participants of the festival!

Our people who truly love art and music and highly cherish the people of creativity are welcoming this festival with joy.

I am confident that close acquaintance with renewing Uzbekistan, meetings and conversations with our magnanimous and generous people will give you the indelible impressions.

I also wish a good luck to the International Scientific-Practical conference «Prospects for developing traditional music art of nations of the Orient» to be held in the framework of the Festival.

On behalf of the participants of the forum, and our nation, I sincerely thank all of those, who selflessly worked to arrange today’s festival of splendor and art at the highest level, as well as the hospitable and noble people of Samarkand.

Dear friends!

Esteemed guests!

Once again I express my immense esteem and respect for your devotion to the art of music, for your work and talent to preserve and develop it, as well as for your enormous contribution.

Let new creative success, as well as love and admiration of millions of music-lovers always accompany you!

Let peace and solid ties of friendship among the nations be stable in the world!

Thank you for your attention.