CARAVAN TO AMERICA

This offshoot of Yo Yo Ma’s “Silk Road Project” profiles nine immigrants or descendants of immigrants from countries along that ancient trade route, who are actively practicing distinctive traditional arts in the US. Some, such as Tibetan religious painter Yeshi Dorjee or Turkmen rug restorer Abdul Khaliq Muradi, brought skills with them from overseas, while calligrapher La Verne Magarian and oud maker Peter Kyvelos re-discovered arts from their cultural heritages. From the generous array of color photos and explanatory sidebars, as well as the lucid main narrative, readers will get a sense of each practitioner as an individual, as well as a general introduction to what he or she does. Though a deejay of Punjabi descent (“DJ Rekha”) closes by embracing the modern world’s many outside musical influences on the “Bhangra” style she plays, many of the interviewees express worry that their traditions will disappear into the melting pot. But not yet is the clear message here. (afterword, glossary, bibliography for further reading, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)