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Famous personalities of Kyrgyzstan

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Kalık Akiev (1883—1953)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Kalık Akiev (1883—1953)

Kalyk Akiev (1883—1953) — a poet-improviser, komuz player, People's Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1939), member of the Union of Writers of the USSR (1938). He was born in the village of Kulzhagach in the Jumgal district of the Tian Shan volost (now Naryn region). His father, Akı, was engaged in hunting and craftsmanship. Kalyk became interested in singing at an early age and was already known in the area as a poet by the age of 18.

04.11.2014, 21:20
Eshmambet Bayseitov (1867—1926)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Eshmambet Bayseitov (1867—1926)

The akyn-improviser, komuz player, and one of the best students of Toktogul, Eshmambet Bayseitov (1867—1926) was born in the village of Kyk-Kazyk, now in the Talas region. Later, poverty forced his family to move to the Ketmen-Tyubinsky district, to the relatives of his mother. He began singing at the age of 15.

04.11.2014, 21:15
Zhenizhok Kokoев
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Zhenizhok Kokoев

Zhenizhok Kokoев (real name Oto, 1860 — 1918) — an outstanding akyn of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, whose legacy has only begun to be seriously studied in recent years. He was born in the Sary-Kobon area, now part of the Manas district in the Talas region, to a poor family. After losing his parents at an early age, Zhenizhok was forced to leave his homeland and move to the village of Kara-Suu in the Aksy district of the Jalal-Abad region. As a teenager, he sang famous dastans such

04.11.2014, 21:01
Arstanbek Builashov (1840 — 1882)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Arstanbek Builashov (1840 — 1882)

The great akyn-thinker of the past century Arstanbek Buylashov (1840 — 1882) — akyn, komuz player, a bright representative of the artistic movement "zaman" (literally, "time, era"). He was born in the mountainous region of Syrt, now in the Jety-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul region, to the younger wife of the bey Buylash. From childhood, he showed musical abilities, learning songs and tales from adults.

04.11.2014, 20:54
Urkash Mambetaliyev
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Urkash Mambetaliyev

Urkash Mambetaliev (born 1934) is a soloist-manaschi of the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic named after Toktogul (since 1961), a member of the Union of Writers of Kyrgyzstan (1982), and a People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic (1994).

04.11.2014, 13:09
Shabay Azizov
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Shabay Azizov

People's Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic Shaabay Azizov (born 1927) inherited the storytelling tradition from his father, as well as from his uncle — the famous Issyk-Kul manaschy Choyuke. He also considers his fellow countryman Sayakbay Karalaev, with whom he had close communication, as a teacher. He lives in the village of Uch-Kainar in the Ak-Suu district of the Issyk-Kul region and is actively engaged in creative activities: he sings for recordings, performs at the invitation of

04.11.2014, 13:01
Kaba Atabekov
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Kaba Atabekov

Kaba Atabekov (born 1926) is one of the prominent representatives of contemporary storytelling culture and a People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan. He was born in the village of Tort-Kul in the Ton district of the Issyk-Kul region. He began singing "Manas" at the age of ten. He associates the beginning of his storytelling career with a prophetic dream in which a noble old horseman strictly instructed him to recite the epic.

04.11.2014, 12:58
Seidene Moldoke Kyzы
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Seidene Moldoke Kyzы

Seydene Moldoke kyzy (born 1922) — an outstanding storyteller, one of the few women-manaschis. She was born in the village of Kotoromo in the Toktogul district of the Jalal-Abad region. She associates the beginning of her storytelling career with a famous prophetic dream in which the great akyn Toktogul appeared to her, followed by the hero Semetey himself. Since the mid-1950s, Seydene has been invited to Frunze to participate in competitions and reviews of folk art and for recording.

04.11.2014, 12:52
Jusup Mamai
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Jusup Mamai

Jusup Mamai (born 1918) — the largest representative of the art of akyns and manaschy abroad, a storyteller-writer. He was born in the village of Merkech in the Kyrgyz Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Until 1959, he worked as a teacher, then began to study and narrate the epic.

04.11.2014, 12:49
Mambet Chokmorov (1896—1973)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Mambet Chokmorov (1896—1973)

Mambet Chokmorov (1896—1973) is one of the greatest storytellers of the eastern region. According to legend, he was also initiated into the manaschy by Manas himself, who appeared to him in a prophetic dream.

04.11.2014, 12:43
Moldobasan Musulmankulov (1883—1961)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Moldobasan Musulmankulov (1883—1961)

Moldobasan Musulmankulov (1883—1961), a talented storyteller, akyn, komuz player, and People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan (1935), was born in the village of Terek, now in the Ak-Talinsky district of Naryn region. The first influence on Musulmankulov's storytelling creativity was his brother Kaligul. With his help, Musulmankulov began to master playing the komuz and a large repertoire of folk songs.

04.11.2014, 12:36
Sayakbay Karalaev (1894—1972)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Sayakbay Karalaev (1894—1972)

The storytelling art of Sayakbay Karalaev (1894—1972), by unanimous recognition of his contemporaries, was the pinnacle of the evolution of national epic culture. This famous manaschy of our century possessed a truly titanic ability for improvisation and a powerful performing temperament. His contemporaries rightfully called him the "great rhapsodist" (M. Auezov), "Homer of the 20th century" (Ch. Aitmatov).

04.11.2014, 12:23
Sagymbay Orozbakov (1867—1930)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Sagymbay Orozbakov (1867—1930)

Sagymbay Orozbakov (1867—1930) was born in the village of Kabyrga, located on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, in a family of a musician-surnaychi. His father, Orozbak, served the khan of Issyk-Kul, Ormon. At the age of nine, Sagymbay began to learn Arabic script under the guidance of an Uzbek mullah, as well as to sing and compose. He became fascinated with the epic "Manas" at the age of fifteen after hearing performances by the famous manaschy of that time, Chonbasha, Tynybek

04.11.2014, 12:15
Sharsen Termechikov (1896—1942)
Actors of Kyrgyzstan

Sharsen Termechikov (1896—1942)

Sharshen Termechikov (1896—1942) — a popular comic-satirist, honored artist of the Kyrgyz SSR, belonged simultaneously to the worlds of theater and music. He was born in the village of Konok, now in the Sokuluk district of the Chuy region. In his youth, in the city of Pishpek, he met the famous kuudul Adamkaly, from whom he learned the basics of this unique art. Soon, while traveling through the ails, Sharshen was already generously sharing it with his listeners. Since 1931, he lived and

03.11.2014, 21:24
Salamat Sadykova
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Salamat Sadykova

Salamat Sadakova (born 1956) is one of the contemporary professional folk singers, a People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan (1995), and a talented interpreter of lyrical repertoire. She was born in the Batken region of the Osh province. In the folk theater of the Kara-Buura district in the Talas region, she played several roles and performed in concerts with lyrical songs. This determined her choice of profession. In 1988, Sadakova was invited to the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic as a

03.11.2014, 18:34
Myskal Omurkanov (1915—1976)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Myskal Omurkanov (1915—1976)

Myskal Omurkanova (1915—1976) — an outstanding folk singer. She was born in the village of Epkin in the Jumgal district of the Naryn region. She began her artistic career in 1936 when she won first prize at the All-Kyrgyz Olympiad of Folk Art. When she joined the Naryn Regional Musical and Dramatic Theater in 1940, Myskal already had some performance experience in her native village of Chayek, in the so-called collective farm theater. Her rich, velvety voice, unique in timbre, range, and

03.11.2014, 18:32
Musa Bayetov (1902—1949)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Musa Bayetov (1902—1949)

Musa Bayetov (1902—1949) is the author of four dozen songs. The best of them are created in lyrical genres. Even in his youth, when Bayetov began his creative activity at the Naryn city radio station as a performer, he created the songs "Milaia" ("Zharoo-ker") and "Prosyipayus" ("Oygonom"). Later, as a soloist of the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic, he composed the famous songs "Mudraia" ("Daanishman") and "Uchilsia ya v stolitse"

03.11.2014, 18:26
Atai Ogonbaev (1900—1949)
Musicians of Kyrgyzstan

Atai Ogonbaev (1900—1949)

Atay Ogonbaev (1900—1949) entered the history of Kyrgyz folk musical culture as a versatile musician, singer, komuz player, and author of beautiful lyrical songs. His best works are distinguished by their spirituality and exquisite style. Songs such as "Burned to Ashes" ("Kuydum chok"), "I Remember" ("Esimde"), "Youth" ("Zhashtar"), "Longing" ("Sagyńych"), "Flower" ("Gul"), "Oh,

03.11.2014, 18:23