Safeguarding Uzbek oral traditions in the age of digital audio archives

Abstract

The digital preservation of Uzbek oral musical traditions, encompassing the epic narratives of the bakhshi and the modal complexities of the Shashmaqom, presents challenges that extend far beyond technical audio engineering into the epistemological, ethical, and cultural domains. This article argues that digitisation is not a neutral act but a transformative intervention that reshapes how oral traditions are understood and transmitted. It examines the ontological tension between preserving fixed performances and honouring the living, improvisatory nature of oral culture, alongside the technical demands of high-fidelity capture, long-term sustainability, and culturally sensitive metadata. The discussion explores the delicate relationship between digital archives and living practice, acknowledging both the risk of suppressing creative variation and the potential for revitalisation through intentional pedagogical use. Central to the argument is the role of the archivist as a cultural mediator who must balance technical proficiency with ethnographic sensitivity and community trust. The article further addresses the nuanced question of access, distinguishing between the democratising potential of open dissemination and the necessity of respecting community protocols for sacred or sensitive materials. Ultimately, digital preservation is conceived as an ongoing process of care rather than a finite project, with the ultimate purpose of sustaining the living vitality of Uzbek oral traditions as expressions of cultural sovereignty and collective memory in an era of rapid global change.