Kazakhstan celebrated National Dombyra Day on July 3 with city-wide performances by young dombyra players, QazMonitor reports. The musical instrument is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Kazakh nation.
On July 1, the youth wing of the AMANAT Party organized a national dombyra party. More than 2,500 dombyra players throughout the country performed Kazakh kuis (traditional musical pieces).
More than 200 students of "Altyn dombyra" Art Center joined the action in the capital while a similar event was held in the Pavlodar region. On the eve of the holiday, more than 2,000 schoolchildren performed open air in front of important monuments and at public squares.
Meetings were held in Pavlodar pre-school camps by inviting players, performers, and folklorists. Films about folk artists were shown in the assembly halls of schools. Exhibitions of handicrafts, like "Dombyra - khalyktyn rukhani zhuregi", were organized.
On the same day, an action Dombyra dastan was held in the perinatal center of Aktau, during which the parents of the newborn were presented the national instrument.
In the Akmola region, nearly 1,000 dombyra players performed Kurmangazy's "Balbyrauyn" and "Saryarka" kuis.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Kazakhstani with the National Dombyra Day.
I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on National Dombyra Day! This is a special holiday for our country - celebrating it strengthens our identity and awakens the self-awareness of our people. It helps root the original traditions of the Great Steppe and deepen understanding of native culture among the younger generation.
Dombyra is a true talisman and amulet of our nation. Its melodies are close and familiar to each of us because Kazakhs and dombyra are inseparable from each other.
It is not for nothing that academician Akhmet Zhubanov said: "Dombyra is the ancient chronicle of the nomadic people. The strings of this sacred musical instrument hide the hidden essence of our nation.
The legacy of the great kuishi [musicians] from the time of the famous Ketbuga is our priceless spiritual treasure. By steadfastly promoting our original art, we are elevating our culture.
Today we have begun the construction of the New Kazakhstan, a qualitative transformation of the nation. For our country's sustainable progress we must not only follow the modern trends but also cherish the traditions and customs of our ancestors and widely promote the values of diligence.
Our people and the dombyra are forever connected, as the spirit of freedom is transmitted from generation to generation through the art of the kui [musical piece played on dombyra].
May the dombyra always occupy the most honorable place in every home!