Press Box

On 4th March 2010 at 11 am the premiere of "The birth of the kyl-kyak" (birth of the traditional Kyrgyz instrument) will take place at the "Oomat" youth theatre of lyceum #43 in Jangy-Jer village (Sokuluk rayon).

This project became possible thanks to the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia - the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Program and the Arts and Culture Program of the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project is being carried out by the traditional music centre "Ustatshakirt". 

The "Oomat" youth theatre was created at the professional lyceum #43 in 2005 firstly as a theatre group and then in 2006 teachers of the "Ustatshakirt" centre started to organize lessons for playing traditional Kyrgyz instruments, such as the komuz, chopo choor and temir komuz with the aim of transferring the musical traditions to a new generation. In the same year the "Ооmat" theatre prepared the performances "The birth of the komuz" and "The birth of the kyl-kyak" which continue the story of traditional Kyrgyz musical instruments. During the performance the difficult process of kyl-kyak making in the form of a slide show will be presented.

Briefly the play is about the following: according to legend a warrior, Joloi, while protecting his native land, looses his horse during a fight. But for the nomad and the warrior a horse is a faithful friend, whose loss is extremely dramatic. In memory of his war-horse, Joloi made a kyl-kyak, the frame of which was made out of wood and the strings and bow from horsehair. He then played his whole life on this instrument, remembering exploits, which could not have been possible without his faithful horse ...

The producer and the project manager is Ilgis Junusov, the scholar of the Presidential grant «Altyn Shaty» in 2007 and 2009. The "Ustatshakirt" teacher Nurbek Serkebaev is the musical director of the play. In his interpretation are melodies on the komuz, kyl-kyak, ooz komuz, choor, chopo choor and sabyzgy, which supplement the dramatic art of stage play. After the performance a small concert by lyceum pupils will take place, among whom are former "difficult" teenagers, who became interested in music and acting techniques and have expanded their outlook and developed creative thinking.

For more information about the theatre performance, please contact project manager 
and producer Ilgis Junusov, tel.: (0772) 404983

Additional information: the Public Union Centre «Ustatshakirt» has been operating since 2005. The main mission of the centre is to preserve and develop Kyrgyz musical heritage through the traditional system of knowledge and transfer skills «ustat-shakirt» - that is from teacher to student.
 
***
The Swiss Cooperation Office in Kyrgyzstan (SCO, www.swisscoop.kg) has been supporting arts and culture development in Kyrgyzstan since 1998 to contribute to the formation and maintenance of an independent and diverse cultural environment. The Arts and Culture Program of SCO supports film and music development, culture development in villages, jazz popularization and local initiatives through small grants. 

For more information about the SCO Arts and Culture Programme please contact Bermet Tuibaeva
at (312) 301036, email: bermet.tuibaeva@sdc.net
 
For more information about other SCO projects please contact the media and communications specialist Tursunai Chodurova at (312) 301036, email: tursunai.chodurova@sdc.net