KAZAKH NATIONAL INSTRUMENTAL ART

Nurymbetova Zhamila

Kazakhstan, Uralsk - teacher

At the beginning of our public instrumental art talk, we’ll say some words about Kazakh musical instruments. There are a lot of musical instruments in Kazakhstan. In this article we describe two of them, they are Dombyra and Kobyz and these national instruments can be used for playing kyj. Kyj - is a national music, which is played with dombyra and kobyz.

As great Abai said Kazakhs couldn’t live without song and kyj. Everybody could listen to kyj’s very attentively.

There are many legends about appearance of Kazakh instrument dombyra, one of them is O.Zhanibekov’s legend “Golden Dombyra”.

Many, many years ago an old poet lived in our motherland. One day he said to his children, relatives and all Kazakh people that dombyra was an important thing in his life, he told his feelings through this instrument “I want to reserve such instrument, but I can’t decide. I’ think you should decide it yourselves”,-said old poet. Then the people discussed this problem, decided to pour the gold in the dombyra. After it dombyra became a beautiful instrument expressing the feelings, gladness and sorrow of Kazakh people. From this day the instrument is remembered as Kazakh Golden Dombyra.

Archeological works prove that the instrumental culture was formed in early centuries. Al-Farabi said in his work about music that talent of music has two directions, one of them is human sound and the second is playing on the instruments, e.g. the people called their compositions on Dombyra and Kobyz in one word “Kyj”.

One of the works about property of Kobyz is the work written in Kazakh language XIV-XV centuries. This work is called “Aitys of musical instruments. The author is - Akhmadi. Now it is kept in Britain museum. Now Kobyz is developing and using in Kazakhstan and different parts of the world, but earlier it was prohibited.

Kobyz is made of intact wood by carving. It has two strings. Kobyz is covered by camel’s skin and horse’s hair is used for strings hair looks like a bow. Carrying this in right hand and slightly drawing the strings we can play kobyz and listen to music(sound). Playing on kobyz differs from others, that’s why everybody can not learn playing on this instrument easily.

There are many legends about Kobyz. One of them is Ali Daurish’s work. “Kobyz is an instrument with beautiful sound and strings”. And in other work it is said that Kobyz is made by a great musician “Zhalaiyr” Sultan Uais. And other works say that Kobyz came from Turkish Musicians”.

The father of kobyz is Korkyt. He was a great musician and master; our Kazakh ancestors carried his kyjs to their generation. Because Korkyt Ata and his ancestors were born and lived in Kazakh land. I think tradition of kyj is spread because from Korkyt’s time the kyjs of musicians as Ketbuga, Sypyra, Assankaigy, Kaztugan, Koilybai, Markaska, Baizhigit are known even today (this time).

The persons who gives firstly his scientific analysis were A.Levshin, I.Andreyev, Sh.Ualikhanov, A.Eikgorn, S.Rybakov, music scientists as A.Zhubanov, B.G.Erzhakovich, A.Zattayevich, P.Aravin, B.Sarybayev, B.Karakulov, A.Mukhanbetova continued this work about Kazakh instrumental art.

We can say that Russian active worker, one of the formers of Russian Geografic committee. A.I.Levshin who wrote a monography about Kazakh people in Russia, was one of the scientists who printed notes of Kazakh music.

One of the people who hard worked in research of Kazakh music is Zatayevich. When he worked in Orenburg there were Kazakh from different parts of Kazakhstan who knew their traditions, national songs and kyjs. Therefore Zatayevich began to gather Kazakh heritage (legacy), as he said:”he began Kazakh epopee”. “Not only singers have Dombyra, but also every amateur of sings has it”,-said Zatayevich.

A.Zhubanov is the person, who (explored) studied Kazakh musical culture and hard worked to develop it. He organized a scientific expedition which gathered about 10000 variants (form) of Kazakh songs and kyis from different parts of Kazakhstan till 1980 s. “Dombyra is the most known instrument in national history. There nearly weren’t a family where although one of the family’s members don’t play on Dombyra. All the singers (‘used) accompanied their singing with Dombyra”,-said A.Zhubanov. And also about Kobyz: “Kobyz is so interesting instrument. It has so many musical properties”.

Used literature:

1. B.Sarybaev. Kazakh musical instruments. Almaty, 1981.

2. A.Jubanov. Strings of the century. Almaty, 2002.

3. O.Beysenbekuly. Instruments. Almaty, 1994.

4. A.Jubanov. Song - following tune. Almaty