Meet Kazakhstan’s music innovators: From the timeless Dombra to cutting-edge electronic sounds

euronews (in English)

In this episode of Modern Nomads, we meet kui-pop pioneer Aktoty Bolshova and electronic music trailblazer Nazira Kassenova in Almaty to find out how they are fusing Kazakh heritage with modern sounds to inspire new global audiences.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to Almaty, one of Kazakhstan's cultural treasures, a UNESCO Creative City of Music

00:15since 2017, it moves to a captivating rhythm where centuries-old traditions shape the beats

00:21of today.

00:22Join us as we dive into the soul of Kazakh music through the lens of its modern sounds.

00:35I'm in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, located on the southeastern border of the

00:40country, to visit the Khras Museum of Folk Musical Instruments.

00:45Here we can explore the origins of traditional Kazakh music, shaped by the Kazakh nomadic

00:51lifestyle, featuring portable instruments and celebrating the steppe's beauty and the

00:56nomads' deep connection to their environment.

01:05Among the 1,000 items housed in the museum, one of the main highlights is undoubtedly

01:10the dombra, a two-string, long-necked, lute-like instrument that symbolizes Kazakh heritage

01:16and national pride.

01:17Almost every Kazakh has a dombra in his house.

01:19It has been the soul of Kazakh people, actually, because it assisted during all the main, the

01:27most important occasions, including festivals, rituals, weddings, birthdays, and we have

01:33even a special saying, which says that a real Kazakh, not a Kazakh, a real Kazakh is a dombra.

01:39This instrument is central to performing Ky, a solo dombra composition inscribed on UNESCO's

01:45Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014.

01:51Inspired by traditional Ky compositions and utilizing the dombra, a new genre, known as

01:57Kypop, has emerged onto the Kazakh music scene.

02:01Aktota Bolshova, a leading figure in this genre, has gained local and international

02:07recognition for her unique blend of modern pop, traditional ethnic music, and Kazakh

02:13ethno-rock.

02:44Aktota's music is popular with the younger generation, introducing them to Kazakhstan's

02:52rich musical heritage with a modern take that is both accessible and exciting.

03:01Like Kypop, electronic music is emerging as a popular modern genre within Kazakhstan and

03:07beyond.

03:08Nazira Kasenova is one of the country's most prominent electronic music producers and DJs

03:14She started playing the dombra as a child, but discovered electronic music while studying

03:19in Europe.

03:20Back in Kazakhstan, she began DJing and launched the Svuk parties, shaping Almaty's underground

03:26electronic music scene.

03:29Kazakh music is very deep and nostalgic and it's very emotional, but like with a little

03:34bit of sadness, it's quite trance-like, like a little bit.

03:38And I think I have those things in, like, still influence me subconsciously, like not

03:42without even realizing it.

03:44I was incredibly lucky to have Nazira perform a private set just for me.

03:49Even though the electronic music scene in Kazakhstan still has a way to go before breaking

03:54through to the mainstream, it's steadily gaining traction among a new generation of young Kazakhs

03:59who are excited by a genre that directly reflects their modern international ambitions whilst

04:05remaining loyal to their rich heritage.

04:08If I compare sometimes, like, Almaty and some European cities, I think, like, promoters

04:13in Almaty and musicians are sometimes even more innovative.

04:16And I think even in electronic music, you know, we see a lot of artists, like, kind

04:20of reusing our heritage, like, musical heritage and stuff.

04:25And I think, like, electronic music artists, we are trying to do bigger things.

04:29Nazira even let me join in and play alongside her for a while.

04:34That was impressive.

04:39As we fade down the volume, we have had a behind-the-scenes look at Kazakhstan's music

04:45scene.

04:46We heard how the timeless sound of the dombra now inspires new genres as artists bring Kazakh

04:52music to the world stage with a blend of tradition and modernity.

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