KAZAKH PRIMA-KOBYZ – YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW

Abstract

The article is devoted to a modernized Kazakh ethnic musical instrument called prima-kobyz, which was reconstructed in the style of the European string-bowed violin instrument. This type of bowed chordophone was created in the 1930s and was generated by the new stage in the development of the musical culture of Kazakhstan and according to the other tasks set for the country, including the creation of a modern orchestra of Kazakh folk instruments. Later, the prima-kobyz became an actively developed solo instrument, allowing the performers to present a wide range of works by Kazakh, Russian, and foreign composers to the public. Being under reconstruction, all the musical instruments required refinement and improvement of several characteristics at all times. Prima-kobyz has gone a long way in improving its sound qualities and morphological characteristics. Even though the instrument is in high demand and growing in interest, artisans are still attempting to modernize it. Consequently, the issues of its reconstruction remain relevant and deserve special attention and analysis. In addition, this issue has yet to be reflected in up-to-date ethnomusicology and needs to be studied more. The state-of-the-art innovative invention - electrokobyz, is considered within the framework of the presented work. Indeed, it has become a factor popularizing prima-kobyz and a new musical instrument that fits perfectly into the creative space of not only Kazakhstan but also the entire Central Asian region. Being a performer on a modern four-string acoustic prima-kobyz, the author writing the article resorts to the method of interviewing prima-kobyz masters in the process of implementing the study as well as other performers on such instrument, including the only performer on an electro-kobyz. The method of collecting and analyzing the received information was also applied.