Traditional Music of Kyrgyzstan

Touring artists and shamans known as manaschi are well-known for their songs and komuz-playing. Their music is characteristically courageous epics such as the most popular story, the Manas epic that is 20 times longer than Homer’s Odyssey, and is the patriotic story of a warrior known as Manas and his offspring who fought with the Chinese. There are new spokesman of the Manas who are very popular, like Rysbek Jumabaev and Sayaqbay Karalaev.

source of picture: www.akdn.org

Apart from the komuz, Kyrgyz folk instruments include the temir ooz komuz (which is mouth komuz) also known as jaw harp in some countries, a side-blown flute, the kyl kiak (qyl-qyiyak), chopo-choor, syzygy and two-stringed upright bow instrument (fiddle). The komuz is the national instrument of Kyrgyzstan. This is plucked cord instrument, the kyl kiak, though, is also a significant sign of Kyrgyz identity. This is a cord instrument, related to the Mongolian morin khuur, and it is associated with horses and the important role they play in Kyrgyz custom. Shamanistic elements of Kyrgyz folk custom remained, including the dobulba (a frame drum), the asa-tayak (it is a wooden device design with bells and other objects) and the earlier mentioned kyl kiak.

Instrumental music known as kui (or kuu) is well-known variety that turns around a musical journey. The narrative, which is completely expressed without words, it is sometime punctuated with exaggerated gestures to mark the significant parts of the story.