

Dombra From Kazakhstan

Music of the world

This album continues to explore the music of Kazakhstan, unveiling a living tradition that has been transmitted orally for centuries. Following the CD "Dombra from Kazakhstan, the Kui Shertpe of Karatau", it now presents the 19th-century Kazakh composer Tättimbet, whose work is at the basis of the shertpe style. That century is considered as the "golden age" of instrumental Kazakh music. It was when the canons of the two great styles shertpe and tokpewere defined and the main dombra schools created. The dombra as can be found in every Kazakh yurt is a long-necked, fretted lute with two strings. The length of the neck can vary, as well as the shape of the sound box.Tättimbet was celebrated for the accuracy of his judgements and his devotion to his people. His genuine, imagined or attributed deeds have given rise to legends that are still passed on today. Yet his aura was first and foremost related to his musical activity. In his lifetime, he was known not only for his instrumental melodies but also for his songs, whose memory has been lost.