Traditional music
Kazakh music reflects the past, the present and the future. Traditional music is still in the majority: as the country is not very urbanized, musical traditions are maintained in rural areas, but also in nomadism. The characteristic rhythms of traditional Kazakh music evoke the different gaits of a horse. Originally, the songs were performed by Mongolian epic singers who accompanied the hunters. These singers had a special aura. Considered shamans by village members, these singers had their own melodies and the gift of healing. These emblematic figures of the land are known as akyns. They also perform at weddings and festivals. Different styles of music have emerged from these practices: kobizovaia, sibiz-govaia and dombrovaia. Mourning songs are called joubatou, and those announcing good news, souinchi.
Traditional singing, which is also considered poetry, is not necessarily open to everyone: depending on their age, singers are allowed to perform a certain type of song. In this case, they have only amateur status. Women sing lullabies and children's songs, young men can sing courtesy songs, and lyrical songs are reserved for adult men. Only by passing several stages of practice can a man receive the title ofakyn and be considered a professional singer. While this codified apprenticeship is no longer really applied today, Kazakh musicians continue to show great respect for the professional musicians of past decades.
Kazakhs own very few musical instruments. The must-have is the dombra lute, with its long neck and two strings played simultaneously. It can be played solo or to accompany singing. The kobuz fiddle is also widespread and also has two strings. The shepherd's flute, or zïbzïgï flute, often completes the picture of traditional music groups. For Kazakhs, music is often experienced as a performance. "A true Kazakh is not a Kazakh; a true Kazakh is a dombra", goes one proverb. It's not uncommon to see a musician venturing to play his instrument in the most improbable postures. The instrumental music known as küy originated in the 15th century and gradually opened up to singing. This musical genre is played at competitions called tartys, during which the professionals must demonstrate their virtuosity and... creativity to delight the audience.
Traditional music ensembles, including contemporary interpretations, carry the colors of their Kazakh culture around the world, as in the case of the Turan Ensemble and Baurzhan Aktayev. Uljane Baïboussinova, a traditional jyraou (poetry) singer, is also known beyond Kazakhstan's borders. Kazakhstan also boasts a national orchestra of folk instruments called Kurmangazy, as well as a Kazakh national conservatory in Almaty.
Contemporary music
Contemporary music is also developing in Kazakhstan: pop is making its appearance, with groups such as Urker and A-Studio. More recently, it's Q-Pop, Kazakh electronic pop, like K-pop in Korea or J-Pop in Japan, that has made a name for itself. The group Ninety-One is considered the founder of this movement, but was soon joined by singer Ziruza, the group IMZ1 and young singer Kyle Ruh.
Kazakh star Dimash Qudaibergen has also been an international sensation since he was spotted on a Chinese talent show. He has won several distinctions on the world stage, including Best International Star at the EMIGALA Fashion Awards in Dubai.
Almaty is the country's cultural capital. Every year, The Spirit of Tengri festival showcases contemporary ethnic music, with a particular focus on musicians from the traditional nomadic scene. The city's local, underground music scene is increasingly making itself felt on the streets of Almaty. Concert halls are multiplying, featuring rock, post-punk and noise artists.
Astana, the official capital of Kazakhstan, is also the capital of opera. The Astana Opera House is considered the third largest in the world. It impresses with its monumental 1.6-tonne chandelier. Almaty also has its own opera house, theAbaï Opera, named after the country's most popular Kazakh artist, poet and composer Abaï Kounanbaïouly. While the Astana Opera is more recent, the Abaï Opera has been in existence for almost a hundred years, with hundreds of works in its repertoire. Kazakh troupes, specialists in the genre, are the first to be programmed here. The first Kazakh opera singer was self-taught Kulash Bayseitova. She drew on a wealth of experience in traditional music, taught by professional musicians according to the rituals of the genre, to achieve a level of excellence in opera that would later inspire many generations of Kazakhs and give birth to a veritable institution.
Theater
Kazakh performing arts are essentially represented byortéké. This discipline combines theater, music and puppetry. A wooden puppet performs a dance to the accompaniment of music played on a dombra lute. The puppet's strings are attached to the strings of the dombra. Under the puppet's feet is a traditional drum. The musician plays and activates the puppet, which moves to the rhythm of the music. The most gifted performers manage to make up to three puppets dance at the same time! Ortéké is performed by individual musicians as well as in troupes. The show is often very popular with the general public.
Although long ignored by academics, the art is now being taught at colleges such as the Kokil School of Music in Almaty, and is the subject of research into the art of learning. The latter relies not only on the dexterity of the musician, but also on the talent of the woodcarver who creates the puppet. A link with Kazakh craftsmanship that makes ortéké a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage.
While some groups perform ortéké on stage, it is possible to see them at the National Puppet Theatre or at regional competitions, which aim to share the different cultures around this practice.
Classical dance
In recent years, the Kazakh state has been investing in dance, and classical dance to be precise. In 2016, the Professional Choreographic Academy, which trains future professional dancers, was founded. Some time later, the Astana Ballet Theatre opened its doors.
This investment, whether in classical dance or opera, is the result of Soviet influence. The recent construction of the Astana Opera House made it possible to open a corps de ballet. At the building's inauguration, Nursultan Nazarbayev, then President of Kazakhstan, stated his intention to promote culture: "A country that builds factories thinks of the years to come. A country that builds theaters thinks of the centuries to come".
China also pays close attention to Kazakh ballets. The Chinese government has even invested in the construction of the Astana Opera House. The prevailing artistic prosperity, particularly in classical dance, even attracts foreign dancers, who are inspired by Kazakh dancers whose level is considered naturally high, due to their natural training in Kazakh national or traditional dances. Such is the case of Kazakhstan-born prima ballerina Aïguerim Beketaïeva, who left to dance in London and agreed to return to perform in her country on a permanent basis in exchange for a small financial boost from the Kazakh government. The latter remains determined to shine ever brighter on the international classical ballet scene.
Kazakh traditional dances
Among traditional dances, the Kaza zhorga is undoubtedly the most popular. It has crossed the borders of Kazakhstan to make people dance as far away as China. The practice is said to date back to the 12th century! It evokes everyday Kazakh life and the emotions that run through human beings, such as love, friendship, grief and happiness. Its name means "triumphant dance", with a link to the world of the horse, linked to Kazakh culture. This dance, which is performed at all festivals in Kazakhstan, is characterized by articulated body movements. It is physically demanding, and has even been adapted in neighboring countries: in Uzbekistan, the movements have been kept for the neck and hands only; in China, it has been turned into a school gymnastics exercise.
Other traditional dances have found their way into Kazakhstan, even though they are not native to the country. These include lezginka, from the Caucasus and eastern Turkey, and kolo, a round dance that can be seen in Kazakhstan but originally comes from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.
