‘A musical journey around the world without a passport’
Qanum player Feras Charestan (left) and visual artist Tazeen Qayyum feature in the Aga Khan Music Programme in Edinburgh.
Photographs courtesy of Edinburgh international festival
Media Source: hyphen. (UK)
Date: 11 August 2025
Every August, Edinburgh is inundated with thousands of actors, writers, directors and performers of all kinds. For the past 17 years, however, one organisation has been bringing artists from further afield and with a greater range of expertise than perhaps any other. Founded in 2000, the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP) preserves…
Every August, Edinburgh is inundated with thousands of actors, writers, directors and performers of all kinds. For the past 17 years, however, one organisation has been bringing artists from further afield and with a greater range of expertise than perhaps any other. Founded in 2000, the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP) preserves and develops musical cultures in areas around the world with a significant Muslim presence. The programme encompasses educational workshops, recorded releases and support for artists engaging with their cultural traditions in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, South Asia and beyond. This year, the lineup includes Sufi poets, Arabic calligraphy artists, French classical musicians, Turkish oud players and Syrian saxophonists, each performing in collaboration and conversation with each other. “The fundamental thing about the AKMP is that we celebrate the pivotal role of musicians in the east,” says programme director Fairouz Nishanova. “In the west, there’s a concept of music as entertainment and commerce for a specific time and place, but in other parts of the world, it’s a way of life. These musicians are storytellers from generation to generation. They will be present at births, deaths, marriages. They carry a tradition that must be taught and continued.”