Repost This ArticleWE DECIDED TO get out of the city and take an old Soviet train on an 8-hour journey to the medieval town of Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Of course, we played a gig or two on the train, managing to charm security into not arresting us, but instead becoming part of the audience.
Courtesy of White City
Every stop we made, golden-toothed women poured onto the train, selling beer and bread, pretty much their only source of income. Entering Bukhara is like crossing from the Soviet Union into Asia. The buildings are ornate and distinctly Persian, while the local people have a more Turkmen look. Women are notably absent from the streets.
We jammed with a local singer, Nishon, famous for his romantic ballads. In this more conservatively Islamic part of Uzbekistan, I couldn’t visit his house and instead had to wait for the boys to go pick him up and bring him back to our hotel. 
Ru Owen
Musician and video journalist Ru Owen left London three years ago due to a case of extreme boredom and hasn't been back since. Living in Kabul, Afghanistan amongst a small, but dedicated group of rockers, filmmakers, photographers and drifters, she joined White City in 2009 and has since led them all over Central Asia, including playing and filming Afghanistan's first rock festival in 2011. She's currently working freelance, making short news features and promos, while developing Big In The Stans as a full-length documentary.
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