Recorded during several trips to Tajikistan between 2003 and 2006, this collection brings together outstanding performers from various corners of the country, with a focus on musics that are locally known as khalqi (of the people). In Tajikistan, the label khalqi indicates a wide range of traditional music genres that, despite having marked regional differences, are perceived to share one main common feature: that of being distinct from elite musics, such as the classical Tajik-Uzbek maqam suites (notably the Bukharan shashmaqam) or symphonic music and opera.