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Umay’s Children will present a Central Asian showcase from noon to 1:45 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Bagley Wright Theater, 155 Mercer St. in Seattle, as part of the Northwest Folklife Festival. The event is free and open to the public.
The showcase will feature music, dance and cultural performances highlighting Central Asian traditions and artists from the Pacific Northwest community, including Mountlake Terrace.
Cultures that represent Central Asia include Sakha (Yakuts), Kazakhs, Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Azerbaijanis, Tatars, Bashkorts, Karaim, Kyrymchaks, Crimean Tatars, Gagauz and Turkish.
Artistic Direct Kerem Onat said Umay is the “ancient goddess that these communities used to worship, a common denominator.” The show’s story will be told by the narrator, as Umay, who will talk about her children and their lives, he said.
Performers scheduled to appear include:
- Ali Stambayev
- Anadolu Turkish Folk Dancers
- Anadolu Turkish Musicians
- Evren’s Art & Music Collective
- Rain City Mugam
- Seattle Shashmaqam
- Ruslan and Yulia
- Tavysh
“It’s my attempt to bring these under represented communities to the spotlight,” Onat said, who is also a commissioner for Mountlake Terrace’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. He said he, Commissioner Kyo Pedersen and Mountlake Terrace resident Madina Abdurashidova will be performing at the festival.
More information is at Umay’s Children.
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