Music of Kazakhstan
Folk and Modern Music
In 2019, we decided to take Almaty Airlines from Istanbul, Türkiye to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As with all national airlines, they require you to have a layover in their country. Almaty Airlines is the national airline of Kazakhstan. We had no idea what was in store for us in Kazakhstan. In fact, we had never learned anything about the “stan” region and this led to further research on the cultures, the music, and anything we could find about this remote region.
Our Trip
First of all, we had a 12-hour layover in Almaty. I knew that the timezone jump would be hard on me and I wanted to attempt to make this constructive. So, I decided on a spa layover. We chose a hotel that had a great spa (seriously, I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else). I spent most of my layover either getting a massage, soaking up the steam in the Turkish bath, sweating it out in the steam rooms or the sauna, lounged in the spa, and of course spent time swimming around in the large pool. It was glorious. Even more exciting was the fact that upon arrival, we were upgraded to the Presidential Suite, so we had a huge apartment to stay in. Since we arrived in the morning, we checked in early and had breakfast right away. Their chefs were amazing and we had delicious Indian cuisine for breakfast.
Our adventure in Kazakhstan actually began in the Istanbul Airport where their guards (security?) wanted to see everyone’s boarding passes/e-tickets as they stood in line to get their boarding passes from the check-in counter. I had my reservation saved on my phone, but for some reason, my cellphone service didn’t want to work inside the airport, so these guards took us out of the line and did a deep inspection on us to make sure we weren’t planning to stay in Kazakhstan. They wanted proof that we were traveling onward before we even reached the ticketing counter. It was a tad stressful, but once they got their answer, we went back to our place in line.
To say immigration felt a little intimidating on arrival is an understatement. We honestly could FEEL the control in the air. However, after our spa/rest/layover, we were again in the airport. This time, we were able to explore the information about the country that was presented in the boarding area. This included video footage and other information about some of the cultural things that Kazakhstan is known for. The most popular would be the bürkitshi or eagle hunters.
Music
As a musician, I am constantly exploring the music of the countries that we visit. That includes the full scope from folk music, to classical music (often the same), and modern/popular music. Kazakhstan has a very unique combination of musical styles, cultural heritage, and history that I am excited to share with you today.
Folk
Instrumental music is called Küy. Many of these traditional songs (played by solo instrument) are accompanied by texts that tell a story.
Vocal Music has always played a prominent role in ceremonial events, such as feasts and weddings. Under this category, we find different types of songs: Epic Singing (stories of historical events and tribal genealogy), Love Songs, Didactic Verses which impart knowledge and wisdom, and Aitys. Aitys are a form of public dialogue between two or more singers that includes frank topics. Although vocal music was more frequently performed by female singers, there are also male throat singers prominent in the music that you can find available today.
Instruments
Instruments native to Kazakhstan include the Dombra, the Qobyz, the Zhetigen, and the Sherter.
Dombra
The Dombra is the most popular instrument and also the oldest known Kazakh instrument. This long-necked lute has two strings that are tuned either a fourth or a fifth apart. It is played by plucking by hand or strumming.
Qobyz
The Qobyz is a bowed instrument that is played by holding it between the legs and bowing it similar to the way a violin is played. It is carved out of a single piece of wood and the strings are made from horsehair. This instrument was common among the nomadic people and often used by shamans to cast spells and perform rituals. It was believed that it could cure curses and illnesses alike.
Zhetigen
The Zhetigen (seven strings) is a member of the zither family. It has moveable bridges and strings of varying lengths. The Zhetigen is the national instrument of Khazakhstan. It is similar to a Chinese guzheng, yazheng and se, Japanese koto, Korean gayageum and ajaeng, Mongolian yatga, Vietnamese đàn tranh, and Sundanese kacapi. The Zhetygen has a stunning and unique sound. Historically, it was played with seven askyks (sheep’s heel bone).
This history of its origin is quite interesting.
From Dimash News:
According to the legend, which was passed from mouth to mouth for several centuries, an old man once lived in a village where he had seven sons. In one year, this village was hit by a strong jute (mass loss of livestock), people were starving. Unfortunately, this terrible grief did not miss the old man’s house. One by one, his precious sons began to die.After the death of his eldest son, Kania, the grief -stricken old man took a piece of dried wood, pulled a string on it and sang the kyui “Karagym” (“My native”). After the death of Toralym’s second son, the father pulled the second string and played the kui “Kanat son‚ ar” (“Broken wing”). For the third son of Zhaikelda, he performed “Kumarym” (“ My beloved”). For the fourth, Beken,“from sener” (“Extinguished flame”) . For the fifth son, Howas, he performed “Bayt koshty” (“Lost happiness”); the sixth son of Zhulzar – “Kun tutyldy” (“Eclipsed sun”). And after the loss of the last and youngest son, Kiyas, the old father bitterly pulled the last seventh string and sang the kyui “Zheti balamnan ayrylyp kusa boldym” (“Woe from the loss of seven sons”).
Through the sounds of the instrument filled with pain of irreparable loss, the old man demonstrated to the listener the images of his beloved sons. kyui, performed by him, received further development and came to us in the form of a mesmerizing composition called “Zhetigennin, zheteui” (“Seven Zhetygen”).
Sherter
The Sherter is an ancient Kazakh instrument often used when telling tales and legends. Similar to the Domba, it has a stronger tone and is played by plucking the strings. It comes in three sizes (soprano, tenor, and bass), covering a diverse range of pitches.
Contemporary
Prior to modern contemporary music, Kazakhstan was once part of the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union. As such, there is influence from that era in many “modern” songs from the last century. In fact, Kazakh musicians never wrote their music down with formal notation until after they became involved with the Russian Federation. The education system that was implemented by the Russian influence taught them to transcribe musical notation so that they could write their music down. The Musical-Dramatic Training College was founded in 1931. Well into the 1930’s, their music was soon turned into nationalistic tributes as part of the Soviet Union rather than tales of tribes as had been done before.
As you can see, their current national anthem bears a quite a resemblance.
Popular Music
This Russian-speaking country has all of the different styles of modern music that you can find anywhere else in the globe. They have hip-hop, rap, R&B, rock music (Kazakh Rock), Q-Pop (like K-Pop), and Toi. Toi is a form of easy-listening folk-style music often performed at weddings and festivals.
My personal favorite Kazakh singer is Dimash Qudaibergen. As a vocal teacher I am 1,000% behind everything that this talented young singer does. He has a vocal range that the best of the best can easily envy (including world-class opera singers). His training has been superb and his success has reached the entire globe. If you have never experienced the blessing that is hearing his voice, I welcome you to visit this video. Not only does he have spectacular musical talent and training, he is also avid in education and being a force for good in the world.
Ensembles
There are many notable ensembles that you can listen to if you are interested in learning more about Kazakhstan’s musical history and unique instruments. Below is a performance by the Kazakh State Kurmangazy Orchestra of Folk Instruments.
I hope you have enjoyed this small journey through Kazakhstan’s musical history. If you would like to see more articles like this, please subscribe at the link below. Feel free to share this article with a friend!
