Cultural contexts of Kazakh traditional music

Abstract

The article Кreveals the features of the geographical location of Kazakhstan as the middle territory between Asia and Europe (East and West). At the same time, due to climatic conditions, this territory (zone of the Great Steppe) was the «cradle» of nomadic culture and civilization, the whole history of which is represented as a history of coexistence and harmonious interrelationship between man and nature. The article notes the spatial and chronological continuity of the material and spiritual culture of nomads (S.Akataev), its internal integrity and syncretic unity. According to the author, syncretism in music is related to the fact that both folklore and the musical and poetic art of the Kazakhs are connected with ancient beliefs (totemism, shamanism, the cult of ancestors as components of Tengrism) and ritual and magical rituals. In the article, the author, based on the works of the famous scientist E.Tursynov, specifies the functioning and the most important role in the spiritual life of society of such carriers of musical culture as bacsy (shamans), akyns, zhyrau, sal, seri, kuishi. It is also stated that the connection of folklore and oral-professional music of Kazakhs with the Tengrian calendar (mushel), derived in the Kazakh musicology by A. Mukhambetova, made it possible to identify the ethnocultural basis of Kazakh music and its systemic classification structure.

Key words: nomadic culture, syncretism, ancient beliefs, magic ritual, shaman-backsy, zhyrau, sal- seri, kuishi, Tengrian calendar.