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  • 7 weeks ago
How an ancient Kazakh puppet art is being revived for modern audiences

A centuries-old Kazakh puppet tradition is finding new life on global stages, in classrooms, and even through 3D printing.

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READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/12/24/how-an-ancient-kazakh-puppet-art-is-being-revived-for-modern-audiences

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Transcript
00:00what began as a mobile nomadic puppet show on the step has grown into a
00:07vibrant musical art form shining on stages around the world and inspiring a
00:12new generation the RTK is a traditional Kazakh stream puppet that dances in
00:17rhythm with live music welcome to Kazakhstan welcome to modern nomads we
00:27start this episode in one of Astana's most iconic landmarks the Kazakhstan
00:31central concert hall where the building's sweeping curves echo the melodies
00:36inside here the Turan ethnofolk ensemble rehearses for concerts around the world
00:47Turan Kuralgala vera 15-year-old
00:50palda os orteke degen kouchak teatrı bizge kizmet jasap keller atır
00:59berneshe völk tentera da misal non orteke'nin bası jane
01:03anabasının oynamın jane m'na ayaqtara'nın bu ındar da barlığı
01:07osuna küşkent tajippen қıstırılgan non orteke'nin bie bürk
01:11erikşeybeli dözü siree kürsete jüvereyim
01:14berneshe alın ayaqtara'nın
01:18in kazakh orteke'ye refers to a little goat caught in a trap
01:22when the trapper or musician strikes a note the puppet comes to life
01:27tapping bouncing and dancing to its own rhythm in ancient times nomads carried
01:33this mobile art across the step delighting crowds along their roots
01:37orteke öneri bol asin kiretti öneri boy mesapteyledi sebepa
01:47bulgerde birinciden bol kol öneri ağash oyıp
01:52qoğışaq jasaydı bulbir ekincisi bulgerde muzika ki qatar
01:58jüredi zene de biyi bar I've never played the jombra
02:02before could you please show me a basic stroke please
02:05like this
02:08am I doing this right
02:15oh wow
02:19oh thank you so much thank you
02:22the ensemble performs the orteke at every concert abroad
02:26to reach even the most distant audience they filmed a music video to share the tradition online
02:32from stage performances to the instrument store room the place where the orteke finds new rhythms and even new forms
02:43orteke in on the only one that are all he got sure that the orteke
02:47the tip can I janet out can be called take a business in the animes
02:50Adam being a single person I you being a single person
02:53general soul being a gay people that the aspect of the new similar
02:57the balance to the variety of instruments here is remarkable
03:01remarkable. More than 1,500 historic pieces are preserved in this collection. One of them
03:07is the shanko buzz, a traditional katek johar. Its trance-like vibrations create a truly hypnotic
03:13sound and make Orteke dance perfectly in sync. And the jet again, a traditional seven-string
03:19instrument, brings a gentler, almost foam-like spirit to the performance.
03:31The musicians are now working to develop a full puppet theatre, with new stories and
03:35characters that reveal the depth and variety of the Orteke tradition.
03:40Back to school, but this time for a masterclass in the Orteke performance.
03:46Toshan Bayrahimov, a music teacher in a local school, introduces his students to this centuries-old
03:51tradition.
03:52He even crafts the puppets himself, a skill inspired by his son Girtai, who came up with a modern
03:59way to create the Orteke.
04:02He even crafts the puppets himself, a skill inspired by his son Girtai, who came up with a modern
04:09way to create the Orteke.
04:11One family, two approaches.
04:12One family, two approaches.
04:13One family, two approaches.
04:18The Orteke is more than a puppet. It's a living link to nomadic heritage, an art where sound, movement
04:25and memory come together.
04:26Recognized by UNESCO, it continues to evolve, carrying the nomadic spirit to new sages.
04:32and new generations.
04:33The Orteke is more than a puppet.
04:34It's a living link to nomadic heritage, an art where sound, movement and memory come together.
04:49Recognized by UNESCO, it continues to evolve, carrying the nomadic spirit to new sages and
04:55new generations.
04:56Subtitling by
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