The San Francisco World Music Festival features Madmen, Heroines and Bards.

On October 28, 2011 the 12th San Francisco World Music Festival commenced with the first of three public concerts.

The festivals commissioned work, "The Epic Project: Madmen, Heroines & Bards from Around the World" weaves together prominent symbols, metaphors, and traditional ideals from many of the world's oldest epics spanning diverse cultures such as Africa, America, Azerbaijan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Taiwan, and Tibet.

Friday's opening concert titled "Madmen & Epic Heroes" featured the heroes and villains of aural history form the remotest villages around the world, "The Epic Project" opened with the shout of master epic chanter Talantaaly Bakchiev from Kyrgyzstan and featured the U.S. debut of The Zainidin Imanaliev Kyrgyz Folk Ensemble.

When one thinks of Asian music traditions,  those of the far and near east most often come to mind but lesser known are the Central Asian musical traditions of the breakaway republics of the former Soviet Union. "The Epic Project" did a fantastic job of showcasing the rich and colorful diversity of Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan’s musical traditions in Friday's concert.
Much of the Kyrgyz music centers around the Kyrgyzstan fretless lute called "komuz". This instrument was played solo and in ensemble and its sound is vibrant and rhythmic.

Highlights include a trio that featured komuz, ocarinas, and a bowed Kyrgyzstan lute.
The sound was regal and expansive the plucked sound of the komuz with bowed lute nicely supporting the softness of the ocarina.

In the solo kamuz department Master Musician Zainidin Imanaliev played a vigorous komuz solo to great delight of the audience. The komuz which is smaller and lighter than the western guitar affords the performer a wide variety of playing positions. This asset was used to great effect by Mr. Imanaliev who was a great showman in addition to being a great musician.
He played the komuz in all manner of twisted positions and he played with vigor, humor and an infectious style. Even the late rock guitar icon Jimi Hendrix would have something to learn from Zainidin Imanaliev!

The program also featured the music of Azerbaijan with the Hasanov Ensemble: Imamyar Hasanov, kamancha (spike fiddle) and Rufat Hasanov, tar (long necked lute).
Imamyar Hasanov was a regal presence on stage, dressed in a traditional coat embroidered with colorful designs he played the kamancha with supreme confidence and finesse. The sound emanating from the instrument was other worldly living in a space somewhere between a stringed instrument and a wind instrument. He was joined by Rufat Hasanov on the rare Azeri plucked lute called 'tar'. As they played a film with scenes from village life was projected on a big screen in the background.

The evening’s first half concluded with the combined Kyrgyz and Azeri ensembles playing a composition called "Spoiled Girl". It was inspiring to see all the musicians from these diverse countries all playing together harmoniously.

The evening concluded with music of India. Most notably Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri who has been teaching and performing tabla in the Bay Area for 30 years at the Ali Akbar College of Music (AACM) in San Rafel, CA.  Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri was featured in a world premiere commissioned composition which he composed for an array of musicians including AACM's Youth Tabla ensemble and musicians from Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and South India. The centerpiece of this composition was a tabla solo by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri with accompaniment by his son, Nilan Chaudhuri.

The San Francisco World Music Festival is a great accomplishment and one of the best festivals in the area. It is held at the Jewish Community Center near California and Divisidero streets which has an excellent auditorium. The stage design was pure elegance and all the performers could be heard clearly.

Sunday October 30, 2011 will be a culminating evening of epic proportions, honoring the lifetime achievement and teachings of South Indian Carnatic Music Master Anu Sridhar and Chinese Guzheng Master Liu Wei Shan, “The Epic Project” will culminate in a full multi-generational Festival Orchestra integrating Traditional Masters and Youth Virtuosi from the Bay Area and around the world. This evening will also feature members of the Festival’s Youth Orchestra, other master musicians from around the world, and one fully integrated world premiere composition with all the Bards of “The Epic Project” together on stage (a total of fifty performers!)