Improvisational Poet Esteves Tursunaliev

The improvisational poet E. Tursunaliev was born on May 5, 1931, in the village of Kara-Archa, now part of the Manas district of the Talas region, in a family of poor peasants. His father, Tursunaly, was a good komuz player, and his mother, Arpayán, was a storyteller and a traditional singer.

Since 1939, he studied at the Aral Secondary School. From the 5th grade, he participated in artistic amateur performances and attended an olympiad in Frunze. In 1946, the folk akyn-improviser Alymkul Usenbaev noticed the talented boy and brought him to Frunze. In 1947, he was accepted into the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic named after Toktogul Satylganov, becoming a student of renowned Kyrgyz akyns-improvisers, tokme, and musicians — Alymkul Usenbaev, Karamoldo Orozov, Ibrai Tumanov, Atai Ogonbaev, Kalik Akiev, Ismail Boronchiev, and others. Performing alongside them, E. Tursunaliev traveled to all corners of the republic.

He has been published since 1950. From 1952, together with his partner T. Tynybekov, he wrote competitive poems — aitys, which were performed accompanied by the komuz.

His first poetry collection "Akyndyn unu" ("Voice of the Poet") was published in 1960. He is the author of several collections of poems and songs, aitys, and other works.

Currently, E. Tursunaliev is the leading soloist of the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic named after Toktogul Satylganov, performing folk songs of the Kyrgyz people. Together with the folklore troupe, he has toured in India, Belgium, Sweden, France, Japan, and others.

The series of programs prepared by E. Tursunaliev from 1973 to 1975 was awarded the State Prize of the Kyrgyz SSR named after Toktogul Satylganov.

People's Artist of the Kyrgyz SSR (1976).

People's Artist of the USSR (1988).

Member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1968, member of the Union of Soviet Writers since 1967.

Awarded the Order of the "Badge of Honor," medals "For Valorous Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945," "For Valorous Labor. In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of V. I. Lenin," and Honorary Certificates from the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz SSR.

SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS

in Kyrgyz language:
Akyn unu: Ырлар жыйнагы. —F.: Кыргызмамбас, 1960. —55 б. Voice of the Poet.
Zaman jarchysy: Ырлар. —F.: Кыргызстан, 1972. — 125 б. Singer of the Era.
Eskeriulvr. —F.: Кыргызстан, 1975. — 156 б. Remembrance.
Ыр — вмурум: Ырлар. — F.: Кыргызстан, 1978. —226 б. Life in Verses.
Kайыцды: Ырлар. —F.: Кыргызстан, 1981. — 104 б. Kaindy.