Sonic Crossings: Resonant Listening Session

Gîn Bali (Mod.)

Which sounds bring us together? Which emotions, memories, and stories are carried through music?

»Resonant Listening« creates a space where the musical heritage of different communities becomes audible. In this session, we explore songs, melodies, and sonic traditions that resonate far beyond music itself – sounds that evoke memories, create belonging, accompany resistance, and preserve cultural identities across generations.

Music travels across borders. It carries memories of places, people, and shared histories while creating new encounters in the present. Familiar sounds can become emotional anchors, reconnecting us with languages, communities, and former lives. In this way, music acts both as a living archive and as a catalyst for dialogue across cultures.

In this listening session, the participating artists of »Sonic Crossings – Kazakhstan + Uzbekistan« – a collaboration between the Music Division of the Goethe-Institut and the Pop-Kultur Festival – each present up to three pieces of music that have profoundly shaped their artistic or personal journeys. These selections may include traditional songs, regional classics, formative genres, or simply the soundtrack of their youth.

Together, their choices form a collective sonic archive, revealing personal memories, cultural contexts, and musical traditions from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan while opening new perspectives through conversation and shared listening.

The evening concludes with a live ambient performance, transforming listening into a collective experience and creating new resonances between artists, audiences, and communities.