Uyghur Voices: My Top 3 Uyghur Podcasts

Maybe there are people like that on Matters.

It is not because of the current series of internment camp policies, or the recent popularity of Xinjiang Cotton that is concerned with Uyghur issues. On the contrary, it was because of being in contact with the lives of Uyghurs and understanding Uyghur culture and history, he was deeply attracted, so he could not ignore the oppression suffered by Uyghurs, and began to pay attention to a series of issues.

If you are such a reader, maybe like me, you will be very interested in understanding how Uyghur people in different life situations promote and view their own cultural identity, and through their professionalism, they can communicate with the world. If you are one of those people who love Uyghur culture, are interested in Uyghur internal views, and are not limited to concentration camps, cotton, or so-called Xinjiang issues, what podcasts do we have to listen to, produced and broadcast by Uyghurs?

This article compiles three podcasts produced and broadcasted by Uyghurs. The content focuses on sharing professional background, daily life, cultural experience, identity and other topics, and recommends it to readers.

In these three programs, the internment camp is occasionally touched upon (after all, this is the daily life of the Uyghur immigrant community in recent years), but it is often not the focus of the topic. Therefore, if you want to listen to more political and Xinjiang-related current affairs Podcast, you may have to skip this round and choose other more professional programs (you can recommend programs in this area again if you have the opportunity).

Of course, since all the people involved in the production of the program are Uyghurs from overseas communities, in order to take into account the listeners from all over the world, the language used in the Podcast is naturally English. However, I think there is no need to be deterred by this. After all, English is not each other's native language. From my own listening experience, the speed and wording of these three podcasts are not too difficult, and the choice of topics is also very life-like. It is not too abstract, and most of the hosts and talkers have immigration or study abroad backgrounds, so it is quite suitable for listeners who have basic English listening skills or who are interested in adjusting to overseas life.

However, these programs definitely have their limitations. Just like any ethnic group, the creators who have the opportunity to immigrate deeply, master English, and record and participate in program production, most of them came from more educational and cultural capital. strata, and the Uyghur producers and broadcasters recommended in this article are no exception. But I think this does not prevent me from wanting to know more about the true heart of this group.

The following is a brief introduction to these three podcasts, I hope readers will gain something.

I) The Chayxana

https://anchor.fm/uyghur-collective

Co-produced and broadcasted by a group called Uyghur Collective , Chayxana means "tea house" (چايخانا) in Uyghur. The production notice was issued in February, and the program was officially launched in early March. It is not yet clear about the rhythm of the update.

The production team of Chayxana is from Adelaide in southern Australia - this is also an unexpected discovery, because of them, I know that there are nearly a thousand residents of Uyghur background in Adelaide. The age of the team should be the youngest of the three, so the content is sometimes casual, sometimes violent, and the tonality is very consistent with Chayxana's original intention: friends from all over the world sit down and chat randomly about daily interesting things.

Of course, maybe because it was just the beginning of production and broadcasting, the direction and tone of the program are still being explored. The content released in the first episode is that the host invited his brother Uyghur and his cousin Adila to chat. Frankly speaking, the first ten minutes were quite boring, probably just teenagers bickering, but the interesting thing is that the middle part of the show made my eyes (Ears?) As soon as they lit up, they began to exchange all kinds of interesting things they encountered on social media and daily life in Australia because of their Uyghur identity.

They discussed the Denialists on the Internet who refused to accept the existence of internment camps and did not accept rational discussion, and how their school teachers and teachers imagined Uyghur from Central Asia (the teacher confessed to the host that the Uyghurs in his heart were like Dothraki in GOT). Duan I laughed), also discussed the word Uyghur as a name and family name, how to pronounce it correctly? Also, what is the pronunciation that is acceptable to Uyghur of Uyghur whose name also happens to be (this is super important!)?

It may seem cumbersome at first, but this is an important process for the younger generation who may have lived overseas for many years to understand and gradually develop their own Uyghur identity.

In addition, the Uyghur Collective's Instagram is also very well run, often sharing daily photos of life in the various oasis (both contemporary and modern), it is worth following.

II) Weghur Stories

https://www.weghurstories.com/

This podcast is specially designed for listeners who are completely unfamiliar with Uyghurs, and aims to create dialogue and cooperation among the Uyghur diaspora, with planned topics including arts, science, and movement advocacy. The overall show's sense of dialogue is somewhere between Chayxana and Tarim Talk, which will be introduced later.

The program consists of two fixed hosts, one is Mukaddas Mijit, a Uyghur scholar currently living in France, and Mukaddas, who was born in Urumqi, obtained a doctorate in ethnomusicology from Université Paris Nanterre, and has participated in a number of Uyghur art experiences and collaborations. Cultural-themed research projects, including documentaries, dance, and music; the other is John Bair, a text writer from the United States.

This kind of design has its ingenuity. John does not have much experience in understanding Uyghur culture, so if there is any specific theme in the program, such as Uyghur historical figures, specific traditional music elements, etc., Mukaddas will deliberately add it. The explanation allows the audience to stand on a starting point similar to John's, and through her explanations, they can learn many details about Uyghur. And for Mukaddas, English should be a less familiar language in her growing up and learning process, so in terms of the speed of the program dialogue, it is very suitable for non-native English speakers like me to listen.

What I think is very commendable is that Weghur Stories invited Uyghur professional designers to participate in the sound design of the show, and also provided background information and portfolios of all the interviewees, on the one hand, making this show a platform for co-authoring , so that the audience can get to know more outstanding Uyghur art creators, so that the audience who are interested in Uyghur culture can explore it by themselves. In addition, it must be mentioned that the production and broadcasting of the program is supported by the U.S. Embassy in France, and listeners who are obsessed with cleanliness can decide whether to listen to it or not.

Finally, I would like to mention that I personally resonate with her sharing in the second episode of her own identity shift.

Mukaddas mentioned that in the early days of her life in Europe, she always felt a sense of urgency and felt that it was her responsibility to let the Europeans she came into contact with know what the so-called "Uyghur" was (especially through the dance art form she specialized in), And because of such expectations, self-examination and correction will be made from time to time. It's an expectation that hopefully will be recognized by the international community, but can be a breathless burden.

Also as an international student (Taiwan) from a region/culture that is neither recognized nor well-known by the international community, I can seem to feel this sense of urgency and the weight that comes with it. Introducing one's own background and identity to European friends is a very skillful and brain-consuming thing, but there is always a sense of urgency. I hope that in the limited dialogue, the other party can learn more about Taiwan and be good at it." national diplomacy".

I didn't realize too much how this presupposition affected my life in Europe until a Swedish friend from Palestine mentioned to me that he had met several Taiwanese friends in a row, all of whom were unbelievably friendly. They are also eager to share Taiwan's cuisine and culture with him, "What kind of education and training have you all received?" He was very curious about the reason behind it. Only then did I have the distance to reflect on how the political dilemma of the general context affects the behavior and mentality of individuals overseas.

Mukaddas realizes this. She honestly recognizes her own limitations and understands that she cannot be used as an all-encompassing carrier to convey what is "real" Uyghur traditional culture to others, let alone an individual in the singular form. Plural and colorful Uyghur culture.

In this regard, her turn is to understand her origin, family and ethnic background more tolerantly, and regard Uyghur as one of her many identity bases (rather than the only one), and proceed from this in the new living environment. With the continuous nourishment of Uyghur culture, we have the courage to create more artistic possibilities. In the process, the breadth of Uyghur culture has also diversified, expanded and strengthened.

III) Tarim Talk

https://www.thetarimnetwork.com/podcast

I have to admit that Tarim Talk is the only program among the three that I haven’t listened to. There is no other reason, just because I don’t have much time to go back and listen to all the previous programs. After all, Tarim Talk has been producing and broadcasting programs since 2019. The update frequency is about one episode every two months. The main content of the content is interviews with professionals of Uyghur origin, and occasionally people related to Uyghur culture are also invited (for example, the interview with Lisa Ross released in March, which is very interesting. reward). Tarim Talk is produced by Tarim Network, a Uyghur community based in London.

On the whole, I personally think that Tarim Talk is the most well-established talk show among the three. Although it sounds more polite, it can continue to be broadcast for nearly two years, and it is quite good to know many outstanding people of Uyghur descent. It is still quite good and worth supporting. definitely.

By the way, Tarim Network is a British charitable organization established by young Uyghurs in Europe. Its purpose is to connect young Uyghurs around the world, provide a platform for mutual support and exchange, and stimulate more possibilities for Uyghur overseas communities. . Through their network, I really feel that professionals in the Uyghur community, no matter where they are, contribute their knowledge and expertise in various fields.

At the same time, I am looking forward to the results of the essay contest currently being held by Tarim Network and the collection of Uyghur creations published at the end of the year, hoping to read more views and works of Uyghur people.

The above three programs are provided for the reference of listeners who are also interested in Uyghur culture. If there are Uyghur podcasts that I have overlooked, you are welcome to add them in the comments!