Kazakhs celebrate Dombra Day Photo: official website of the President of Kazakhstan
On July 7, Kazakhstan celebrates the National Day of Dombra. On this occasion, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev published an appeal on his social network page, in which he sincerely congratulated his compatriots, noting that this holiday is of great importance in the spiritual life of the Kazakh people. “Dombra has become an integral element of the civilization of the Great Steppe. Our common duty is to preserve this heritage of Kazakh culture. Let the melody of dombra sound in every home!” – wrote the head of state.
Dombra Day was established by special decree on June 13, 2018, and is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of July. According to the document, the new holiday was established to “further consolidate society around the idea of preserving and reviving national culture and identity.”
This year, it so happened that Kazakhs celebrate two holidays one after another: the Day of the Capital and the Day of Dombra, so in many parts of the republic the events are combined. For example, today in Astana, on the territory of the EXPO, the festive show-concert “Zamanaui dombyra” (Kazakh for “modern dombra”) will be held. In the Karaganda region alone, more than 300 concerts, master classes, sports competitions, challenges, festivals, thematic exhibitions and charity events are being organized for the residents of the region this weekend.
“On July 7, the flash mob “Dombyra babalardyn amanaty” will take place in the Central Park of Culture and Recreation. Students of music schools and dombra circles of the region will simultaneously perform “Saryzhaylau” by Tattimbet, “Saryarka”, “Balbyrauyn”, “Adai” by Kurmangazy and the kuis “Kosalka” by Dauletkerey,” said Erkebulan Zhumakenov, head of the department of culture, archives and documentation.
The performance of the young musicians will be followed by a concert programme featuring the Tattimbet Academic Orchestra, the Akku folklore and choreographic ensemble and traditional singing performers from the Kali Baizhanov Concert Association. Similar events will be held throughout Kazakhstan.
As always, this holiday was not without performances worthy of a record book. In eastern Kazakhstan, police officers on the parade ground of the regional department lined up the Kazakh national instrument from patrol cars. And in this unusual context, local musicians performed the kui by the famous composer Kurmangazy.
“The sacred dombra has always been passed down from generation to generation. It is a talisman that captures centuries of history. May its sounds continue to inspire new achievements and contribute to the prosperity of our homeland, the Republic of Kazakhstan,” said the head of the East Kazakhstan Police Department, Major General of Police Erlan Omarbekov, in a statement to his compatriots.
“Kazakh and dombra are inseparable concepts”
The history of the appearance of the dombra (a two-stringed musical instrument shaped like a pear, similar to a lute, a distant relative of the balalaika) dates back to ancient times. Archaeological finds indicate that analogues of the Kazakh dombra were played more than 2,000 years ago. Thus, during excavations of the ancient settlement of Koi-Krylgan-Kale (modern Uzbekistan), which flourished about two thousand years ago, terracotta figurines of musicians with dombra-like instruments in their hands were found. In 1989, in the Almaty region, archaeologists discovered Neolithic cave paintings, on which an ancient artist who lived more than 4,000 years ago depicted four dancing men and a dombra-like instrument.
There are many beautiful legends about the emergence of the dombra in its present form. According to one of them, its predecessor is an even older musical instrument, the tambora, which was mentioned in his works by the famous scientist Abu Nasr al-Farabi. Over time, the tambora was improved, lightened and turned into a two-stringed instrument – the dombra.
But one of the most beautiful legends is this one. A certain hero, tired of battles, decided to rest and listen to music on the way home. He carved a homemade body out of walnut wood, made a neck, strung horsehair strings on it and tried to play some kind of melody. But in vain: the instrument fell silent. In despair, the hero fell asleep and was soon awakened by a magical melody played by the strings. It turned out that someone had placed a wooden chair where the headstock joins the neck. The hero decided that this was the work of an evil demon – Shaitan, and since then among the Kazakhs the name “Shaitan-tiek” has been assigned to the upper threshold of the dombra.
Legends are legends, but the fact that the dombra with a “shaitan-tiek” and necessarily carved from a single piece of wood has been the main musical instrument of the Kazakhs for many centuries is a historical fact. Legends say that in ancient times the dombra was played on holidays and before battles, to bring about the desired mood. Like Russian jesters, Kazakh folk storytellers, akyns, walked with the dombra through bazaars, fairs and villages and, performing their instrumental works, kyuis, conveyed the joys and sorrows of ordinary people. The Kazakhs kept the dombra in a place of honor, passed it on from generation to generation, and kuishi, the person who composes musical works on the dombra, was always an honored guest.
It is curious that the first Kazakh to demonstrate dombra and Kazakh chants on a world level and cause a sensation in the Old World was the singer, musician and actor Amre Kashaubaev. In 1925, this Kazakh genius, who arrived in Paris as part of a Soviet cultural delegation to take part in ethnographic concerts, accompanied by a dombra, sang several Kazakh folk songs and literally fell in love with the sophisticated Parisian audience. And here is another fact, this time modern: in 2010, dombra was included in the Guinness Book of Records after 10,450 dombra players performed the Kazakh kui “Kenes” (“Council”) in China.
“Kazakh and dombra are inseparable concepts. There are no Kazakhs who are not inspired by the sounds of dombra, and the melody of this instrument sounds in all places where our compatriots live. Kazakhs consider this musical instrument a talisman that captures the chronicle of centuries. In modern language, this is our national brand,” said President Tokayev on the eve of Dombra Day in 2021, noting that it is no coincidence that the art of kyui is included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage and is recognized by the world community.
“It’s great that there are such holidays in Kazakhstan”
According to Ruza Kazhenova, director of the Almaty Centre for Traditional Music, the culture of the Kazakh people cannot be imagined without dombra.
“Dombra raised the spirit and unity of our ancestors; the musical instrument has retained its meaning and value to this day. If you look at the biography of the great Kazakh poets and composers Zhambyl Zhabaev, Makhambet Utemisov, Dina Nurpeisova, the life of each of them is connected with dombra. Their creativity not only brings fame to the country, but also inspires new generations to learn to play dombra. That is why it is an integral part of every Kazakh,” says Ruza Kazhenova.
By the way, dombra is also popular in Russia. For example, yesterday in Moscow, at the headquarters of the Astana Foundation for the Promotion of Friendship of Peoples and National Cultures, a round table on the theme “Dombra – Eternal Music” was held. Today, a club for all those who want to learn to play this instrument is opening in the “Kazakhstan” pavilion of VDNKh.
There are also truly professional ensembles. For example, in the Tyumen region. According to Gulbaira Kalieva, deputy chairwoman of the Tyumen regional organization “National and Cultural Autonomy of Kazakhs of the Tyumen region”, the instrumental dombra ensemble “Murager” (“Heritage”) was created two years ago with the support of the Kazakh Autonomy and deputies of the regional Duma.
“Musicians take part in all concerts held in our region, on the Days of Kazakh Culture, during the Kazakh holidays of Kurultai and Nauryz. In addition, every month we hold concert programs to popularize the dombra. Our main goal is to create a great ensemble. A two-stringed dombra is able to subtly convey the mood of a musician. I am sure that this property of the musical instrument is worth a lot,” says Kalieva.
Very nice words were spoken on Dombra Day by a Russian virtuoso, accordionist, teacher, public figure, winner of 18 international competitions named… Tokaev.
“First of all, it is a great honour for me to bear the surname Tokaev,” Maxim Tokaev admitted. – By the way, I highly respect the President of Kazakhstan for his activities in the political sphere, for his openness, kindness and sincerity. Secondly, I have a very good attitude towards Kazakhstan and I wholeheartedly congratulate all Kazakhs on Dombra Day.
“This is a very beautiful holiday. It is great that in Kazakhstan they not only honour the traditions of national instruments, but also elevate them to the level of a national and international holiday. It is great that folk and original instruments are becoming popular. This is very important and valuable. After all, it contributes to universal patriotism, national strengthening and unity. Happy holidays, Kazakhstan!” – added the Russian virtuoso musician.
