Traditional musical culture of Karachay-Cherkessia

The development of musical culture of the peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia

The musical culture of the peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia until the beginning of the 20th century developed on the basis of oral traditions of indigenous peoples and displaced persons and was represented mainly by the work of amateur performers.

Significantly slowed down its development and popularization were political instability, the territorial and administrative unsettledness and the economic backwardness of local peoples, which for the most part was a consequence of the anti-people policy of the Russian tsarist government.

The study and recording of the works of the Karachay-Balkarian oral musical creativity began S. I. Taneyev. For the first time in 1885, in Khasauta and the Urusbiyev aul, they recorded twenty songs and tunes from Prince Ismail Urusbiev.

The founder of Karachai musical folklore is considered I.M. Urusov, thanks to whom, from the beginning of the twentieth century, the world knows about the folk music of the republic. The fame of performers of music on local folk instruments since ancient times was throughout the Caucasus. Today, Appa Janibekov, Islam Krymshamkhalov, Aubekir Kulov, Apalistan Alakaeva, Boris Khalilov, Ismail Kanamatov, Ruslan Botashev and Larisa Aliyev are known far beyond the borders of their native land.

After the establishment of Soviet power in Karachay-Cherkessia, the period of formation and planned development of amateur performances began. It was during these years that the systematic growth of the network of small clubs and houses of culture began, during which music clubs were organized. Since the thirties of the last century, the initiative of Karachay-Cherkessia has become a powerful means of ideological and aesthetic education of the people. In addition, at this time interest in the traditional musical art represented by artistic groups of the republic grew noticeably. A remarkable period in the development of culture of the region allowed to identify a significant number of talented musicians from all the peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia and to predict the further development of professional music. The Great Patriotic War temporarily set aside these hopes.

Deportation of people in the war and post-war years did not add an incentive to the development of the musical culture of Karachay-Cherkessia, but its traditions and trends did not disappear. A new wave of its development arose after the return of Karachai to their homes.

The art of all the peoples of the region was represented in the post-war period through the creation and active concert activities of vocal, choreographic and instrumental groups. Among the striking developments in the musical life of Karachay-Cherkessia in recent decades, it is necessary to note the first national opera “The Last Exile” (Krymsky S.M., 1975), the ballet “Aitugan - Daughter of Karchi” (Kochkarov M.Kh., 1993), the founding of the Union composers of Karachay-Cherkessia (1992), the festival of artistic creativity of the South of Russia and the All-Russian festival of art songs (Dombay, since 1987).

The musical heritage of famous composers Appa Janibekov, Kaspot Kochkarov, Gemma Gebenov, Shaharbi Ebzeev, Mustafa Mamchuev, Alikhan Habichev, Ibragim Dzhabayev, Azret-Ali Bayramukov, Ruslan Botashev and many others is great today.

During the post-portal period, a whole galaxy of dancers known in the Caucasus and beyond, such as: Dzhandu Chomaev, Zaur Akbayev, Murat Uzdenov, Ruslan Marshankulov, Ismail Bayramkulov, Aliy Totorkulov, Roman Batchaev, Nauruz Ortabayev, Magomet Baboev appeared. the choreography was introduced by a Ukrainian by birth Nikolai Shulga. Particularly popular in our time among the Karachai youth are the performing artists Albert Uzdenov, Zuriyat Botasheva, Albert Tokov, Safar Uzdenov, Kasbot Tambiyev, Khasan Khubiyev and others. Zuryat Botasheva, Albert Uzdenov, Khalit Khatuyev and many others.