Editor's note: Chasing Muqam is a CGTN Digital documentary series that explores the legacy of Muqam, a traditional Uygur art form that blends song, music and dance. Nadim Diab travels across Xinjiang to meet the people carrying this tradition forward – listening, learning and ultimately attempting to capture the soul of Muqam in a performance.

CGTN's Nadim Diab returns to familiar ground – Kashi, in the far west of Xinjiang. But this time, he's not sightseeing, he's listening in the hope of discovering the rhythms of Uygur folk music. From a crash course in traditional moves to an impromptu mini concert led by septuagenarian musicians, help comes from everywhere – friends, strangers and a city awash in the sounds of tambourine and lute.