the members of yalla are graduates of the ostrovsky theatrical art institute and the ashrafi state conservatory in tashkent. they are not russian but uzbek, a turkic nationality from the crossroads of the ancient silk road. their music incorporates traditional ethnic folk tunes and poetry of uzbekistan and other central asian and middle eastern cultures, along with contemporary pop and dance influences, into a unique international blend. they perform songs in more than 10 languages, including arabic, persian, hindi, nepalese and french as well as uzbek and russian.