National Dombra Day celebrated in Paris
Kazakh diplomats and their families, representatives of the Kazakh diaspora and children adopted by French citizens performed at the concert in the Embassy building.
In his welcoming speech, Kazakh Ambassador to France Zhan Galiyev highlighted that many events related to dombra happened in the French land.
"For the first time dombra was presented at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925 during the performance by Amre Kashaubayev, a great Kazakh singer and musician. At that time, many Frenchmen were amazed by his voice of a great compass and power, and the local press wrote about the gift with dombra from the Kazakh steppes," the Kazakh diplomat said.
In 2014, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the art of performing the traditional Kazakh dombra kui (musical instrumental composition) was included in the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Zhan Galiyev added that in honor of the National Day of Dombra, the Embassy of Kazakhstan opened the Center for the study of the Kazakh language and national instruments (dombra, kobyz, and zhetigen) for all comers.
The concert was started ed by the young pupil of the Kazakh Cultural Center Mael Decamp who, playing the piano, performed the music for the song for the poem by Abai Qunanbaiuly, a great Kazakh poet and philosopher, "Kozimnin Qarasy...".
Frenchman Charles Kulbois, who recently got interested in studying the Kazakh language after a trip to our country, emotionally and heartfeltly recited Abai Qunanbaiuly's poem "Ghylym Tappai Maqtanba" ("Gettting no knowledge, do not boast").
The steppe melody of the zhetigen, which is an ancient Kazakh plucked instrument, provided the French audience with insight into the spiritual depth of Kazakh compositions. Aruzhan Bolatkyzy, who is one of the most gifted students of the Kazakh Cultural Center performed the Kazakh folk song "Buldirgen".
A long standing ovation was caused by zhetigen playing by Head of the Kazakh Cultural Center Aigerim Yersainova, who has repeatedly won music festivals. This time she delighted the audience with the unmatched performance of "Aqbayan".
The highlight of the concert was the performance by Melvin Clerot, who sang "Dudarai" song. The singer says that to perform Kazakh songs, he was inspired by Kazakh diplomat Berlin Irishev.
In addition to "Dudarai", the brilliant Frenchman sang "Gul Almatym", a popular song by Batyrkhan Shukenov.
At the end of the concert, a charming duo of Kazakh diplomat Murager Sauranbayev, playing the dombra, and an active participant of "Korkut" Kazakh Cultural Center Aigerim Mataeva, playing the piano, performed "Konildi Bikesh" kui by renowned Kazakh composer Nurgissa Tlendiyev.