Akin-improviser, storyteller-manashchi M. Musulmankulov was born in the village of Terek in the current Ak-Talinsky district of Naryn region into a peasant family. From the age of 17, he became known as a performer of folk songs, komuz player, and improvisational singer. In his more mature years, he gained fame as a storyteller of small epics and became recognized as a manashchi.
In 1932, he was invited as a singer to Naryn Radio, in 1933 he was accepted as a soloist in the Kyrgyz Drama Theater, and from 1936 to 1952, he worked as a soloist at the Toktogul Satylganov Kyrgyz Philharmonic.
M. Musulmankulov was a person of versatile talent, but the main aspect of his creativity was the art of improvisation in the oral folk creativity of the Kyrgyz people. In 1922, folklorist K. Miftakov recorded small epics "Kurmanbek" and "Janush - Bayish" from the words of M. Musulmankulov.
In 1928, the epic "Kurmanbek" was published as a separate edition, marking a significant event in the history of Kyrgyz culture. Variants of these samples of oral folk creativity are recognized by literary scholars as some of the most artistically valuable. The main work of M. Musulmankulov is his narration of "Semeteya" from the trilogy "Manas," from which 203,000 poetic lines of this epic were recorded. This is one of the largest versions by volume, after the Orozbakov and Karalaev versions. In 1926, "Ancient Laments" — koshoks were recorded, in 1930 — the dastan "Saltanat," and in 1935-1936 — the tales "Asan and Külbara," "Batyr-Osmon," "The Wise Girl and the Cruel Khan," which are considered classic examples of Kyrgyz folk tales. Proverbs, sayings, legends, and traditions were recorded from the words of M. Musulmankulov. He is the author of many original works published in 1962 under the title "Yry jıynagy" ("Collection of Poems").
People's Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1935).
Participant in the decades of Kyrgyz literature and art (in 1939 and 1958) in Moscow.
Member of the Union of Soviet Writers since 1947.
Awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, two Orders of the Badge of Honor, the medal "For Valor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945," and Honorary Certificates from the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz SSR.
SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS
in Kyrgyz language
Yrlardyn jıynagy. — Fr.: Kyrgyzmambas, 1962. — 55 p. Collection of poems.
Moldobasan: Yrlardyn jani dastan. — Fr.: Kyrgyzstan, 1983. — 163 p.
