Music of Turkmenistan
Encyclopedia
The music
of the nomad
ic and rural
Turkmen people
is closely related to Kyrgyz
and Kazakh
folk forms
. Important musical traditions in Turkmen music include traveling singers and shamans called bakshy
, who act as healer
s and magicians and sing either a cappella
or with instruments such as the two-stringed lute
called dutar
.
Turkmenistan's national poet is Magtumguly Pyragy, from the 18th century, who wrote four line goshuk lyrics. The Central Asian classical music tradition mugam is also present in Turkmenistan by name as the mukamlar
http://www.hauntedink.com/almaty/photos8.html.
, Turkmenistan's national anthem
was "Turkmenistan", composed by Veli Mukhatov with words by Aman Kekilov
. In 1997 (well after independence), the anthem was changed to "Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem
", the music and lyrics of which were written by President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov
.
and saltıklar to the kirklar and navoi. These are performed by professional musicians called sazanda.
). Turkmen say that Adam who was moulded from clay had no soul. It was only due to the melodious tuiduk playing Archangel Gabriel could breathe life into him. According to a Turkmen legend the main role in tuiduk invention was played by the devil. There is a ritual of inviting guests for a celebration which has survived from ancient times. Two tuiduk players stand in front each other, point their instruments upwards and play in unison. While doing this they perform magic circular movements which remind that this ritual used to be linked to shamanism
.
woodwind instrument
. It is a clarinet
-like, single-reed instrument
used mainly in Turkmen folk music.
The instrument's range is greater than its six finger holes would suggest, the upper registers being attained by breath control.
Dili tuiduk of the Turkmen can be carved in a couple of minutes by a shepherd in the springtime, when reeds grow tall, but a set of brass instruments for a police band needs an investment of money and time to arrive in town.
s, births
, and other events.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of the nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic and rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Turkmen people
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
is closely related to Kyrgyz
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
and Kazakh
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
folk forms
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. Important musical traditions in Turkmen music include traveling singers and shamans called bakshy
Bakshy
The bakshy are traditional Turkmen musicians. Historically they have been traveling singers and shamans, acting as healers and spiritual figures, and also providing the music for celebrations of weddings, births and other important life events...
, who act as healer
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
s and magicians and sing either a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
or with instruments such as the two-stringed lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
called dutar
Dutar
The dutar is a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute found in Iran, Central Asia and South Asia...
.
Turkmenistan's national poet is Magtumguly Pyragy, from the 18th century, who wrote four line goshuk lyrics. The Central Asian classical music tradition mugam is also present in Turkmenistan by name as the mukamlar
Mukamlar
Mukamlar is a term for bodies of musical repertoire for the Turkmen dutar or tüÿdük . Mukumlar represents the most important repertoires in the Turkmen classical tradition after the baksy songs. There are several mukamlar for each instrument; instrumentalists may disagree on the number...
http://www.hauntedink.com/almaty/photos8.html.
National anthem
As a Soviet RepublicRepublics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, Turkmenistan's national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
was "Turkmenistan", composed by Veli Mukhatov with words by Aman Kekilov
Aman Kekilov
Aman Kekilov was a Soviet Turkmen poet.-References:...
. In 1997 (well after independence), the anthem was changed to "Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem
Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem
The national anthem of Turkmenistan is called the National Anthem of Independent Neutral Turkmenistan . The lyrics were written by the first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov...
", the music and lyrics of which were written by President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov; , was a Turkmen politician who served as President of Turkmenistan from 2 November 1990 until his death in 2006...
.
Dutar
The dutar is the most representative instrument of Turkmen folk music. It is used in many styles, ranging from the mukamlarMukamlar
Mukamlar is a term for bodies of musical repertoire for the Turkmen dutar or tüÿdük . Mukumlar represents the most important repertoires in the Turkmen classical tradition after the baksy songs. There are several mukamlar for each instrument; instrumentalists may disagree on the number...
and saltıklar to the kirklar and navoi. These are performed by professional musicians called sazanda.
Tuiduk
Tuiduk is a wind instrument (similar to ZurnaZurna
The zurna , is a multinational outdoor wind instrument, usually accompanied by a davul in Anatolian folk music. The name is from Turkish zurna, itself derived from Persian سرنای surnāy, composed of sūr “banquet, feast” and nāy “reed, pipe”...
). Turkmen say that Adam who was moulded from clay had no soul. It was only due to the melodious tuiduk playing Archangel Gabriel could breathe life into him. According to a Turkmen legend the main role in tuiduk invention was played by the devil. There is a ritual of inviting guests for a celebration which has survived from ancient times. Two tuiduk players stand in front each other, point their instruments upwards and play in unison. While doing this they perform magic circular movements which remind that this ritual used to be linked to shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
.
Dili tuiduk
The Dili tuiduk is a TurkmenTurkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
woodwind instrument
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
. It is a clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
-like, single-reed instrument
Single-reed instrument
A single-reed instrument is a woodwind instrument that uses only one reed to produce sound. Examples include clarinets, saxophones, and some bagpipes. In a single-reed instrument, the reed is attached to a mouthpiece that is blown into to vibrate the reed, producing the sound...
used mainly in Turkmen folk music.
The instrument's range is greater than its six finger holes would suggest, the upper registers being attained by breath control.
Dili tuiduk of the Turkmen can be carved in a couple of minutes by a shepherd in the springtime, when reeds grow tall, but a set of brass instruments for a police band needs an investment of money and time to arrive in town.
- http://afghanistan.wesleyan.edu/instruments/images/image6.jpg
Gagri tuiduk
Gargy-tuyduk this is a long reed flute whose origin, according to legend, is connected with Alexander of Macedonia, and a similar instrument existed in ancient Egypt. Attention has been drawn to the possible origin of the instrument's name, gargy, from gargysh, gargamak, gargysha galmak and gargysh etmek among the Turkic people meaning "curse". There is also said to be a connection with Kargyra and Kharkhira, the style of guttural singing for two voices of the northern Turkic-speaking peoples (Khakass, Yakut and Tuva peoples). The sound of the gargy-tuyduk has much in common with the two-voiced kargyra.Bakshy
Bakshy were formerly the most important musicians in Turkmen society, along with tuidukists. They played the dutar to celebrate weddingWedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s, births
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, and other events.