Of all the performers in the upper echelon of Uyghur pop music, Möminjan is perhaps the most widely traveled independent artist. Möminjan, and his brother the famous composer Ablet Ablikim, grew up in the shadow of their famous uncle Abdulla, the King of Uyghur pop. He and his brother have been following in their uncle’s footsteps for over a decade; they even recorded a song together called “We Brothers” (Qerindash Biz) which sounds a bit like a Uyghur version of the Everly Brothers. As an Archeology student in the History Department at Xinjiang University, Möminjan developed interests outside the family business. In the mid-2000s he went through the long arduous process of obtaining a passport without an Ürümchi hukou and went to Malaysia to study English. After he came back he recorded a song called “I’ll be Home Soon, Mom.” In the song Möminjan takes on the way life apart from one’s family puts an almost unbearable strain on family relations. Using a novel form of theatrical performance, Möminjan performs the way dreams can be …