Ethnomusicology Feature

  
Near and dear to my heart are the people and the music of Kyrgyzstan. In this video produced by Almaz Toktoyev, you will see and hear a beautiful fusion of anient Kyrgyz instruments flowing from a synth/pop sound-bed. The video features Maksat Saberbek uulu who both wrote and arranged "Uluu Toonyn Kychagynda" ("In the Embrace of Majestic Mountains").

The video portrays the story of a modern music producer/muscian (played by Maksat himself) who is frustrated and tired of the busyness of the city and the long hours working in the restricting confines of the studio. At his end, he takes his "komuz" (the three-stringed, national instrument of Kyrgyzstan) and escapes to the fresh air and beauty of the "Embrace of the Majestic Mountains" to look for relief and inspiriation. The primary melody of this song is played on the Kyrgyz "komuz," but also featured in this video is the two stringed, bowed instrument called the "kyl kuyak." Other Kyrgyz national instruments used in the arrangement but not featured in the video are the "chopo chor" (a Kyrgyz ocarina-like flute), the "ohz komuz" (a metalic mouth harp), and the "jugach ohz komuz" (a wooden mouth harp).