Music of Kazakhstan refers to a wide range of musical styles and genres deriving from Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
is home to the Kazakh State Kurmangazy Orchestra of Folk Instruments, the Kazakh State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kazakh National Opera and the Kazakh State Chamber Orchestra. The folk instrument orchestra was named after
Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly
Kurmangazy Sagyrbaev ( kk, Құрманғазы Сағырбайұлы, ''Qūrmanğazy Sağyrbaıūly''; 1823–1896) was a Kazakh composer, instrumentalist (kobyz, dombra), and folk artist. He influenced Kazakh musical culture. He was born in 18 ...
, a well-known composer and
dombra
The ''dombra'', also known as ''dombyra'' ( kz, домбыра, uz, dombira, ba, думбыра) is a long-necked Kazakh, Uzbek and Bashkir lute and a musical string instrument. The dombyra shares certain characteristics with the komuz a ...
player from the 19th century.
Traditional music
Traditional music in Kazakhstan often refers to music of the following genres:
* Instrumental music, with the pieces ("Küy") being performed by soloists. Text is often seen in the background (or "program") for the music, as a lot of Küy titles refer to stories.
* Vocal music, either as part of a ceremony such as a wedding (mainly performed by women), or as part of a feast. Here we might divide into subgenres: epic singing, containing not only historical facts, but as well the tribe's genealogy, love songs, didactic verses; and as a special form the composition of two or more singers in public (Aitys), of dialogue character and usually unexpectedly frankly in content.
Traditional musical instruments
The most popular traditional instruments are string instruments. First of them is the dombra (
домбыра), the most popular and the oldest Kazakh music instrument. Some argue that nomads have used similar two-string instruments more than two thousand years ago.
The dombra is a long-necked lute with two strings tuned in the interval of a fourth or sometimes a fifth. The strings are plucked or strummed by the right hand without a plectrum.
The other instrument playing an important role is the Qobyz, which is a bowed instrument held between the legs. It is made of carved wood for the body, animal skin for the resonator, and horse hair for the strings, and the bow. The Qobyz is said to have been invented by the legendary shaman Qorqyt, long before the medieval ages.
The "Zhetigen" ("Seven strings") could be seen as a member of the cither family, finding equivalents in China, with the strings being divided each in two parts of different lengths, the bridge being movable and consisting of small bone. There is also a plucked lute called sherter (
шертер).
*
Dombra
The ''dombra'', also known as ''dombyra'' ( kz, домбыра, uz, dombira, ba, думбыра) is a long-necked Kazakh, Uzbek and Bashkir lute and a musical string instrument. The dombyra shares certain characteristics with the komuz a ...
(
Kazakh:
домбыра) is a stringed instrument of the Turkic, which is widely spread among the Turks. Dombra is made of hollow wood, wooden parts and two strings. 19 (sometimes 22) keys are attached to the neck. Has variation as three-stringed dombra, double-sided, wide-body, hollow-necked, etc.
*
Kobyz
The Kobyz ( kk, қобыз, ''Qobyz''; ba, ҡумыҙ; tt-Cyrl, кубыз) or ''kylkobyz'' ( kk, қылқобыз, ''qylqobyz''; ba, ҡыл ҡумыҙ; tt-Cyrl, кылкубыз) is an ancient Turkic bowed string instrument, spread among Ka ...
(khylkobyz (Kazkah:
қобыз)) is a stringed-bowed instrument. Kobyz has a bucket-shaped body, an arcuate curved neck and a large flat head. The half of surface is covered with skin. Strings and bow are made of horse hair. It is made of solid wooden block. Often done with two strings, but also there are three-stringed, four-stringed kobyz and has variations like "nar kobyz", "jez kobyz".
*
Jew's harp (shankobyz (Kazakh: шаңқобыз)) is an ancient musical instrument of the Kazakh people that is made of silver or iron. It is not so big, with a body and arcuate tongue. The way you play on this instrument is directly related to the interaction with the oral cavity. When playing the instrument, use the right hand to pull the instrument by the tongue. In ancient times, the shankobyz was a child's and a woman's instrument. Shankobyz has many names in different nations: vargan,
temir komuz, komys, aure, komus, vaniar, tumra, kousian, etc.
* Sherter (Kazakh:
шертер) is a stringed instrument. It is played like dombyra, but the bone is less than dombyra and it looks like a kobyz. It is made of wood, but the exterior is covered with skin. It is mostly played by shepherds, and often used for accompaniment of fables.
*
Jetigen
The jetigen ( kk, жетіген, , or dzhetigan or zhetygen) is a Kazakh plucked zither. Similar to Chinese guzheng, yazheng
and se, Japanese koto, Korean gayageum and ajaeng, Mongolian yatga, Vietnamese đàn tranh, and Sundanese kacap ...
(Kazakh:
жетіген) is a polychord instrument. The form of instrument is oblong, with the shape of a box. 13 (or it can be 7) strings are attached to both ends of the box and there are special wooden parts on each string. All of the Turkic cultures have jetigen, but have different names of it: Tatars "etigan", Tyvalks "shatkan", etc.
*
Dauylpaz (Kazakh:
дауылпаз) is a percussion instrument which was a military instrument. In ancient times, it lifted the spirit of warriors and hunters. In structure it resembles an ordinary drum. The manufacturing process is very complicated: you need to make groove in wood, cover the top with skin, make a belt to carry it everywhere and a stick to beat it.
* Kongyrau (Kazakh:
қоңырау) is a musical instrument that is made of gold or silver. The structure is close to the bell. Bells of different sizes are distributed on a wooden base and, when stressed, produces an enjoyable ringing. Some artists attach the to the top of their instrument while playing.
* Zhelbuaz (Kazakh:
желбуаз)
* Asatayak (Kazakh:
асатаяқ)
Traditional Kazakh instruments are often used in contemporary music and play a big role in Kazakh music. Traditional orchestras include ''"Otryrar Sazy", "Kurmangazy Orchestra", "Al-Faraby sazy"'', and a number of others. Kazakh instruments are used not only by artists but also are an integral part of the life of almost every Kazakh.
Russian and Soviet-era music
The Russian influence on the music life in Kazakhstan can be seen in two spheres:
* First, the introduction of musical academic institutions such as concert houses with opera stages, conservatories (where European music was performed and taught).
* Second, by trying to incorporate Kazakh traditional music into these academic structures.
Controlled by the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
and then the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, Kazakhstan's folk and classical traditions became connected with
ethnic Russian music
Russian folk music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people.
Ethnic styles in the modern era
The performance and promulgation of ethnic music in Russia has a long tradition. Initially it was intertwined with ...
and Western European music. Prior to the 20th century, Kazakh folk music was collected and studied by
ethnographic
Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...
research teams including
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
s,
music critic
''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...
s and
musicologist
Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...
s. In the first part of the 19th century, Kazakh music was transcribed in linear
notation
In linguistics and semiotics, a notation is a system of graphics or symbols, characters and abbreviated expressions, used (for example) in artistic and scientific disciplines to represent technical facts and quantities by convention. Therefore, ...
. Some composers of this era set Kazakh folk songs to Russian-style
European classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
.
Kazakh musicians themselves, however, did not write their own music with notation until 1931. Later, as part of the Soviet Union, certain Kazakh folk culture was encouraged to avoid political and social unrest. The result was a derivative of Kazakh folk music. In 1920,
Aleksandr Zatayevich
Aleksandr Viktorovich Zatayevich (russian: Алекса́ндр Ви́кторович Затае́вич; 6 December 1936) was a Russian music ethnographer and exponent of Central Asian folk music.
Life
Zatayevich was born on 20 March 1869 in ...
, a Russian official, created major works of art music with melodies and other elements from Kazakh folk music. Beginning in 1928 and accelerating in the 1930s, he also adapted traditional Kazakh instruments for use in Russian-style ensembles (such as increasing the number of
fret
A fret is any of the thin strips of material, usually metal wire, inserted laterally at specific positions along the neck or fretboard of a stringed instrument. Frets usually extend across the full width of the neck. On some historical instrume ...
s and
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
). Soon, these styles of modern orchestral playing became the only way for musicians to officially play; Kazakh folk was turned into patriotic, professional and socialist endeavors.
In their work, many artists of the early 90's turn to folk music, processing of folk works and songs in the Kazakh language. Thus, the group URKER, appearing on the music scene in 1994, was one of the first to raise the topic of patriotism and the revival of cultural values in their work.
One of the breakthrough musical projects of the 90s was the first international music festival "Asia Dauysy". Having appeared in 1990, the festival was held annually at the Medeo venue, bringing together artists from around the world on its stage. The festival became the starting point in the musical career for many Kazakhstani musicians, such as Nurlan Abdullin and Bauyrzhan Isayev.
In the modern world, the baton of "Asia Dauysy" was picked up by the music festival "A Star of Asia", which is traditionally held at the Medeo venue since 2017.
An equally popular musical project that appeared in the 90s is the annual competition of young performers "Zhas Kanat". Both solo performers and ensembles took part in the competition, and the project itself opened a new generation of singers for the Kazakh stage, such as Zhanna Sattarova, the group "Ayan" and Madina Sadvakasova.
Musical institutions
The Musical-Dramatic Training College, founded in 1931, was the first institute of higher education for music in Kazakhstan. Two years later, the Orchestra of Kazakh Folk Musical Instruments was formed
The Foundation Asyl Mura is archives and publishes historical recordings of Kazakh music both traditional and classical. The Qurmanghazy Conservatoire is considered one of the leading conservatoires in Almaty.
Contemporary genres
Kazakh hip hop
The
Kazakh hip hop and rap scene started to emerge in the country after the
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
.
Hip-hop easily flourished in Kazakhstan due to the use of
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
in its songs, which makes it easier for Kazakh rappers to achieve popularity in other
Russian-speaking countries.
Kazakh groups such as
Tristar began to be featured on
MTV Russia
MTV Russia or MTV Россия (russian: МТВ Россия) was a Russian music and entertainment TV channel, which carried out its broadcasting from September 25, 1998 to May 31, 2013. On October 1, 2013, MTV Russia was relaunched as a satel ...
.
[Онпрюк Almatykz, Мюьх Гбегдш *Tristar*]
/ref> Hip-hop is arguably the most popular contemporary music genre in Kazakhstan, especially among the youth. In 2013, American rapper Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
was privately invited by President Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
to perform at his grandson's wedding.
Rap culture
In 1995-1999, the Rap Zone group appeared on the music scene, which was the first among many to instill the love of young people for domestic rap music. The band members recorded their albums on cassettes.
Especially breakthrough was their track "Noise-boom-boom-Coup", which became the anthem of young people, and RAP ZONE inscriptions were emblazoned on yard fences, houses and in school diaries.
R'n'b
In addition to traditional pop music, hip-hop and r'n'b developed rapidly in Kazakhstan, which found a response in the work of such groups as Ghetto Dogs, Metis's, Not Everything Is Said and the group 101 led by Ivan Breusov.
Later on in the 2010s, Kazakh hip-hop would influence the development of the Q-pop music genre. Well-known Kazakh rappers are Jah Khalib, Natan, and Scriptonite.
Kazakh rock
Kazakh rock
Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kazakhstan
*Kazakhs, an ethnic group
*Kazakh language
*The Kazakh Khanate
* Kazakh cuisine
* Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan
*Qazax, Azerbaijan
*Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...
is a form of rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
in Kazakhstan, with lyrics written and performed both in Kazakh and Russian. Rock music has been popular in Kazakhstan, especially in Karaganda Region
Karaganda Region ( kk, Qarağandy oblysy; russian: Карагандинская область, translit=Karagandinskaja oblast′), also spelled Qaraghandy Region, is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Karaganda.
On 17 March 2022 it was an ...
, since the 1960s, when it was popularized by The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
. During the Soviet era, Kazakhstan was exposed to both American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and Russian rock
Rock music became known in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and quickly broke free from its Western roots. According to many music critics, its "golden age" years were the 1980s (especially the era of perestroika), when the Soviet underground roc ...
. Local punk rock was started in Almaty in the late eighties by such bands as The Moloty, Subway and Po-1. Well-known Kazakh rock bands are Adaptatsiya, Ulytau
Ulytau ( kk, Ұлытау, ''Ūlytau''), literally meaning "the great mountain", is a popular Turkic neopagan instrumental folk metal trio from Kazakhstan. Their music combines the sound of the violin and electric guitar with the dombra, a tradit ...
, and Urker
Urker ( kz, Үркер, ''Úrker''; russian: Уркер) is a Kazakh pop- folk group established in 1994. They have toured internationally in Germany, France, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and the United States.
Members
The band consists of:
*Aydos ...
.
Q-pop
Q-pop or Qazaq pop is a comparatively new musical genre of Kazakhstan. The term was first coined in 2015. Q-pop originates from K-Pop, hip-hop, Western pop and J-Pop respectively. Kazakhstani entertainment company Juz Entertainment
Juz Entertainment (stylized as JUZ Entertainment) is a Kazakhstani record label and management agency established in 2014 by Kazakhstani singer Erbolat Bedelhan.
History
JUZ Entertainment was established in 2014 by singer Erbolat Bedelhan, a mem ...
has been credited as the pioneer of the genre, with its boy group Ninety One debuting in 2015. Artists like Ziruza
Mad Men
DNA, Alba and CrystalZ also contribute to the genre.
The prize-winning Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen
Dinmuhammed Kanatuly Kudaibergen ( kk, Дінмұхаммед Қанатұлы Құдайберген, ''Dınmūhammed Qanatūly Qūdaibergen''), born 24 May 1994, known professionally as Dimash Qudaibergen, is a Kazakh singer, songwriter, and ...
mixes pop with elements of classical music and traditional Kazakh folk music. In September 2022, Dimash caused a furor on Twitter after singing the Kazakh anthem before Gennady Golovkin's boxing bout against Canelo Alvarez.
Kazakh singer Rukhiya Baydukenova specializes in pop vocals. She was the Grand Prix winner of the 2021 Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk International Festival of Arts, also known as the Slavic Bazaar.
Toi
Toi (Той; literally means public gathering) refers to easy-listening folk music with catchy rhythm, usually performed in weddings and festives. This genre is also popular in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
, Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
and Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...
. Well-known Kazakh toi singers are Qairat Nurtas, Abdijappar Alqoja, Madina Saduakasova and Jazira Baiyrbekova.
References
External links
From Folklore to Soviet National Culture - The Process of Formation of "Kazak National Music" (1920-1942)
(Slavic Research Center, Hokkaido University.)
National Geographic World Music: Kazakhstan
Introduction to the Music of Kazakhstan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstani