Paul Winter and members of the evolving Great Rift Valley Orchestra presented a concert in Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. This collaboration linked the African members of the orchestra with Azat Aitkulov, a player of traditional flute from Ufa in the Bashkir region in western Russia, (representing a Eurasian aspect of the Great Rift flyway). Mr. Azat Aitkulov is considered to be perhaps the greatest Kurai player in Russia.

"It was amazing to watch the experiences and interactions of everyone," said Paul Winter. "The Tanzanians had never seen snow before. (The weather was like New England in deepest February.) I had brought a suitcase of long underwear and sweaters and hats for them. And the Russians we met had never seen Africans, whom they embraced like long-lost kin. The local TV station insisted that  Andrea Kalima and Mwanaima Mrutucook, musicians from Tanzania, cook a Tanzanian breakfast on the morning show.

"It was wonderful to watch the Bashkir kurai player listening for the first time to the Tanzanian zeze, a huge 14-string zither/sitar-type instrument, and to the Ugandan ennanga, or harp. Likewise, the Africans were amazed to hear how the kurai player hums drones or unisons along with his flute. We went on to discover that the interplay of kurai and ennanga is absolutely magical," he said.

The Great Rift Valley Orchestra also gave a concert with the Russian group Izumrud, making for an 11-piece Afro-Russian-American ensemble.  Izumrod includes domra (a mandolin-type instrument), balalaika, accordion and percussion.