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Watson Fellowship 2017-2018

Join me on my journey to Indonesia, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Senegal, and Morocco as a 2017-2018 Watson Fellow as I explore the place and permissibility of music in Muslim majority communities!

  • Mar 11, 2018

    Mugham Fest Part 1

    .

    watson, music, islam, azerbaijan, baku, mugham, music, and arts

  • Mar 4, 2018

    Double Dose of Zoroastrianism

    .

    watson, music, islam, uzbekistan, central asia, tashkent, caucases, azerbaijan, baku, music, research, and arts

  • Feb 25, 2018

    Pearl of the East

    .

    watson, music, islam, uzbekistan, central asia, tashkent, samarkand, sirdarya, music, research, and arts

  • Feb 18, 2018

    Shashmaqam Fest

    .

    watson, music, islam, uzbekistan, central asia, tashkent, music, research, and arts

  • Feb 11, 2018

    Morning Plov

    .

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, central asia, osh, music, research, and arts

  • Feb 4, 2018

    The Last Stan

    .

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, uzbekistan, central asia, osh, tashkent, music, research, and arts

  • Jan 28, 2018

    From North to South

    .

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, central asia, osh, music, research, and arts

  • Jan 21, 2018

    Bye Bye Bishkek

    .

    watson, music, islam, kazakhstan, kyrgyzstan, central asia, bishkek, music, research, and arts

  • Jan 14, 2018

    Stints to Talas and Almaty

    .

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, central asia, bishkek, music, research, and arts

  • Jan 7, 2018

    Vastly Varied Viewpoints

    Interviews with a couple of Kyrgyz pop stars with very different views on Islam, a virtuoso komuz player, and representatives of an Islamic magazine in Kyrgyzstan.

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, central asia, bishkek, music, research, and arts

  • Dec 31, 2017

    Horse Meat and Happy Holidays

    A trio of interviews with a convert/revert to Islam, a couple of jazz musicians, and the founder of Cultura Nomada.

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, central asia, bishkek, music, research, and arts

  • Dec 24, 2017

    Jam Session Cultural Disorientation

    A culturally disorienting jam session at a pub, string orchestra concert, my first several interviews in Bishkek, and one of the best Jazz combos in Central Asia.

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, central asia, bishkek, music, research, and arts

  • Dec 17, 2017

    Hello Kyrgyzstan

    Visiting some museums, bargaining for an entire outfit at an open air bazaar, friday prayer, an open mic night, and a couple of shows at the State Opera and Ballet Theatre.

    watson, music, islam, kyrgyzstan, central asia, bishkek, music, research, and arts

  • Dec 10, 2017

    Wrapping Up In Southeast Asia

    An interview with a metalhead and a presentation at USM by yours truly

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, teluk intan, ipoh, penang, music, research, and arts

  • Dec 3, 2017

    Jazzed Out In Penang

    Interviews with an 'outsider artist', a sound-explorer/painter, an experimental musician/lecturer, and the Penang Island Jazz Festival.

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, teluk intan, ipoh, penang, music, research, and arts

  • Nov 26, 2017

    Heading North

    Interviews with an Islamic scholar/politician, a metalhead, a clothing designer, an imaam/nasyeed artist, and the Georgetown Literary Festival.

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, teluk intan, ipoh, penang, music, research, and arts

  • Nov 19, 2017

    Nasyeed Vocal Semi-Finals

    Interviews with Pop and RnB musicians, a sheikh, an Islamic sculptor, the president of Malaysias preeminent nasyeed music umberlla organization, a singer-songwriter, and Altimet's father, the 1st 'Sacred Path of Love' conference in Malaysia, and the semi-finals of a nasyeed vocals competition televised live at TV Al Hijra's main studio.

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, kuala lumpur, music, research, and arts

  • Nov 12, 2017

    Mawlid Music Fest

    Interviews with big shots, metal nasyeed, Islamic theater, a couple of communal feasts, and Mawlid festival in Singapore, and qasida music to go around.

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, kuala lumpur, music, research, and arts

  • Nov 5, 2017

    Halloween and Kuchipudi

    A Halloween celebration at an open mic bar, a talk on the power of dhikr, a kuchipudi arangetram, a research presentation by yours truly, and a treasonous and blasphemous musical.

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, kuala lumpur, music, research, and arts

  • Oct 29, 2017

    From Indonesia to Malaysia

    Touristy things, Sufi dhikr, shadowing a fusion rock band, interviews with musicians, and a film screening on the consequences of unilateral conversion and custody disputes in Malaysia.

    watson, music, islam, malaysia, kuala lumpur, and research

  • Oct 22, 2017

    Sumatran Interviews: Round 2

    Interviews with professors of ethnomusicology, islamic philosophy, islamic civilizations, and karawitan Minang, and interviews with a couple of exponents of Minangkabau martial arts.

    watson, music, islam, indonesia, sumatra, padang panjang, and ISI Padang Panjang

  • Oct 15, 2017

    Living as a Sumatran Highlander

    Interviews with a Minangkabau cultural preservationist, an MA of Islamic civilizations, and a couple of PhD's in Islamic law.

    watson, music, islam, indonesia, sumatra, batusangkar, and padang panjang

  • Oct 8, 2017

    Martial Arts, Dance, Music, Drama, and the Kitchen Sink

    Randai dance-drama, sampan dance, traditional Minang wedding, and interviews with an expert on Minangkabau culture and a doctor/amateur musician.

    watson, music, islam, indonesia, sumatra, padang, and randai

  • Oct 1, 2017

    Sketches of Interviewees

    Interviews with Muslims, a Christian, self-taught musicians, and metal/punk turned world musicians.

    watson, music, islam, evangelical christianity, indonesia, bali, ubud, singapore, voa, extension, interviews, and open mics

  • Sep 24, 2017

    Touriststan

    Bali, Indonesia (aka. 'Touriststan'): A safe haven for tourists and ex-pats.

    watson, indonesia, bali, ubud, kuta, denpasar, tourism, foreigners, hinduism, gamelan, and Narwastu

  • Sep 17, 2017

    A Hodgepodge of Music

    Jazz music in English, Sholawat music in Indonesian, Gambus music in Arabic, Hindustani music in Braj Bhasha, and the indeterministic sounds of Kiai Kanjeng.

    watson, indonesia, java, yogyakarta, hindustani, gambus, sholawat, jazz, jam session, workshop, indian music, arabic, indonesian, jogja, music, islam, ex-musician, and hijra

  • Sep 10, 2017

    The Hijra and the Habib

    Interviews with ex-musicians, semi-ex-musicians, an Elvis impersonater, and more.

    watson, indonesia, java, yogyakarta, jogja, music, islam, ex-musician, and hijra

  • Sep 3, 2017

    OMW To Jogja

    Interviews with a professor, student music group, and sholawatan artists, contemporary and traditional dance performance, Eid-Ul-Adha festivities, and an all-nighter of wayang kulit music.

    MTA, UNS, Taman Budaya Jawa Tengah, contemporary dance performance, sendratari, prambanan, rebana, maulid, habeeb syeh, PAMOR, interviews, wayang all-nighter, Eid-Ul-Adha, and all-women's sholawatan

  • Aug 27, 2017

    One More Week in Solo...

    Karawitan, sholawatan, imigrasi, pesantrens, mass Islamic study session, and a lovely recording session.

    watson, Karawitan, sholawatan, imigrasi, pesantrens, mass Islamic study session, and and a lovely recording session.

  • Aug 20, 2017

    Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

    Running from place to place to interview anyone and everyone.

    watson, interviews, wayang orang, sriwedari, and indonesian independence day

  • Aug 13, 2017

    HBD To Me

    Royal courts, village gamelan, jam session, frame drums, and ancient temples.

    watson, solo, hindu temple, and islamic music

  • Aug 6, 2017

    Five Days in Transit

    Eventually making my way to Solo, Central Java

    watson, japan, tokyo, jakarta, indonesia, and transit

  • Jul 21, 2017

    Hello World

    Packing up and about to set off!

    watson, first post, getting ready, and los angeles


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