In the remote desert region of western Uzbekistan lies the small city of Nukus. It’s here that you’ll find the famous Savitsky Art Museum, which houses a massive collection of once banned Russian avant-garde art.
It’s also the capital of the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, home to the Karakalpaks, a Turkic people more closely related to Kazakhs than Uzbeks. Though they only comprise about a third of the area’s population, they take immense pride in their history and culture, a trait reflected most notably in their vibrant musical traditions.
Epic Performances
On a recent trip to Uzbekistan, MIR staffers caught some footage of a traditional Karakalpak musical performance while touring the Savitsky Museum. This video highlights two distinct musical styles and types of performers.
The first half of the clip features a type of bard known as a jiraw. Jiraws are masters of throat-singing and typically choose epics that portray the courageous deeds of a well-known hero. They often play on an upright fiddle known as a qobiz, which is meant to imitate and complement the unique sounds of throat singing.
The second half shows another type of musician, known as a baqsi. A baqsi sings more lyrical epics, illustrating love stories, historical accounts, or favorite Karakalpak myths. The instrument of choice for the baqsi is a duwtar, a two-stringed lute with a long neck. Though they usually play solo, baqsis may also perform with an ensemble; in the video, for example, the malebaqsi is joined by a woman on the girdjek, a fiddle that rests on a long spike.
Karakalpak musicians with traditional instruments pause before beginning their performance in Nukus
Photo: Jillian Schneeman
Celebrity Musicians
Throughout history, musicians held one of the most important roles in Karakalpak society, acting as both singers and storytellers, and were an essential part of special occasions and weddings, many of which lasted for days, sometimes weeks.
Karakalpaks had no written language until the early 20th century, so history, myth and knowledge were passed down orally through epic tales and poetry. Musicians memorized these poems and developed individual performance styles, composing original pieces and adding lyrical embellishments or expressive facial movements to entertain their listeners.
Karakalpaks take great pride in their history and culture, a trait reflected in their vibrant musical traditions
Photo: Lindsay Fincher
Feats of Memory
Up until recent times, musicians were required to know a large number of epic poems, as the night’s performance was based on popular vote from the audience. Karakalpak epics could have had anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 lines each. Even after hours of playing, most musicians would not have had enough time to complete an epic, so the tale would continue the following evening or at the next gathering.
(Top photo: Three Uzbek musicians mingle after a private performance.
Photo: Lindsay Fincher)