Social poetry

1) funeral

2) wedding

3) cradle songs

Songs types

Estirty- song-message about the death of the close relative in indirect way through metaphors, metonymies, symbols. It ends with the naming of the man that passed away and a new song starts- zhybaty (counseling), that calls to stand firm and reconcile with the loss in indirect way through symbols, comparisons, metaphors.

Zhoqtay- song performed by relatives over his body right after the death news came, three times a day during 1 year until the commemoration feast. Zhoqtay has special tunes made on dombra or qobyz as kuis, in idealized way are listed the virtues of the diseased person and is expressed deep sorrow on his death.

Qoshtasy (farewell songs) types: farewell to motherland, native lands, youth, life, etc. The most famous qoshtasy are improvisations created in different times: Kazakh -Jungar wars, Tauke song to Jetysy befreo exile to Siberia, Sabyrbay and Birzhan aqyns songs before death, Ai and Tansyq songs to native lands in epic “Qozy-Korpesh and Bayan suly”.

Olen

Olen - song, essential part of the lifestyle, moral-psychological basis and social-political realities of Kazakh people. Genres: 1) social-political (non-ceremonial): arnau (dedication); madaqtau (admiration); tarihi olen (historical); qara olen (simple/ordinary verses); hat-olen (message): sin-olen (individual –lyric); zheldirme (fast tempo recitative); 2) ceremonial-routine: toi-bastar (wedding ceremony opening); toi-tarqar (wedding ceremony closing); zhar-zhar (wedding ceremony duets - males vs females); bet-ashar (bride’s face opening); besik zhyry (cradle songs); qoshtasy (farewell); zhoqtau (mourning); zhal-saly (announcements); estirty, konil aity, zhubaty (notification of death, condolences, consolation); 3) working, trade songs: tinlik (pastoral); eginshilik (agrarian, anshylyk, saltkerlik (hunters’ songs); zhymyshshy zhyry (workers’ songs); 3) didactic: nakliyat (didactic); algys bata, tilek bery (wishes, blessings, gratitude); zharapazan (carols); taqpaq (declamations); zhymbaq (riddles/puzzles); mysal (fables); 4) fantasy-songs: anyz (legends); otirik (fables); 5) satirical-humorous; 6) ceremonial/ritualistic.

Modern lyrical songs: 1) social-political (non-ceremonial) about motherland, heroes of war, revolutionary, rebellious, patriotic- “Elim-ai” (originates in the period of Jungar invasions); 2) ceremonial-ritualistic- routine family life episodes, problems; 3) love lyrics.

Aqyn

Poet in Kazakh culture, the representative of tribe, traveling from one place to another to compete other aqyns to raise only inter-tribal relations. The origin of the word: 1) Persian (scholar, educated, respected, smart; 2) Kazakh (freely flow); 3) Turkic (the one who attacks). The mission- to defend the tribal reputation/status during the poetical competitions in ancient times started before the military conflict to: a) demonstrate the military spirit; b) call the spirits for protection; c) psychological pressure on the opponent by mocking the opponent. In peacetimes aqyns performs the functions: a) wedding ceremonies; b) funerals; c) annual commemorations.

Functions of aqyns

Synergetic: narrators (creators and performers of epics), story tellers, poets, singers, musicians and composers, and guides in the complex world of traditions, rituals, bridge between past through present to the future, public figures as they took part in the disputes settlements, chronicles makers.

Criteria for good aqyns

1) excellent memory to details, general line and sequence of events, traditional phrases and formulas; 2) good diction; 3) talents to improvisation; 4) be able to answer questions and give comments; 5) play musical instruments; 6) contact with the audience; 7) good health; 8) good food and no alcoholism; 9) good temper and humour.

Aqyn arts

1) gift from the heaven; 2) recognition by the reputable aqyns/experts after participation in the aitys and other contests- exam and blessing- bata; 3) blessing from the holy place – grave yard of the saint.

Types of aqyns by performing arts

1) zhai aqyn; 2) kyssa aqyn; 3) aqpa aqyn.

Zhai aqyn- have simple and general performing talent to play and sing traditional things from epics and legends.

Kyssa aqyn- have a good memory and sing long pieces from books and chronicles.

Types of aqyns practices

1) wishes and blessings; 2) critics of human vices; 3) jokes as tests of wit and entertainment; 4) psychological characteristics of human traits; 5) condolence on tragic news and events; 6) education and encouragement; 7) philosophy; 8) legal cases settlement; 8) aitys.

Aitys

(from Kazakh oral debates/discussions) a specific genre of Kazakh oral art in form of musical-poetical contests between the representatives of tribes- aqyns, evolved from the archaic traditions of competitions between fratrias (tribes led by brothers) during the rituals performing. Later on it transformed into the disputes between tribes’ representatives – orators/sheshens- over judicial affairs; usually were accompanied by playing musical instruments and songs- kuis. Aitys as a special bearer, retranslator of Kazakh history, traditions, arts and culture, has a number of functions: 1) communicative – synchronic (in present time- between the aitys participants and the public), diachronic (past – between generations), and between the worlds –this, the other and cosmos; 2) social- political: form of steppe democracy, public mobilization and political socialization, public opinion expression, representation of tribes interests and problems, conflicts/disputes settlement in peaceful way, defense of tribal interests; 3) education; 4) economic - redistribution of resources between the groups- the rich were to share through feasts arranging and rewards giving and the poor had chances for getting the piece of wealth; 5) cultural - historical heritage maintenance and sharing, accumulation, enrichment, innovation, free access to all social groups through listening, participation and imitating, and entertainment. The inner structure of aitys is based on the artistic-aesthetical mutually influencing emotional experience. Aityses were held in public, divided into 2 parties, each supporting one performer by loud cries and exclamations. The result –victory or loss- depended totally on the art and experience of aitys participant, and was first honestly admitted by the participant that he fails. Aitys participants were to be very skilled in poetry, music, singing, orator arts, logic, memory, making use out of the fragmented pieces of information about the opponent’s personality, his tribe and events within and around his tribe/clan and family, and be able to improvise. Types of aitys- zhar-zhar, autys with riddles, badik (spelling)- performed in turn by men and women choruses to expel the evil spirits from the sick person; qaiym – poetical musical contest between young man and woman in improvisation (changing the last words of the famous songs);

contests between orators (sheshen) and biis (judges); taqpaqtasy – poetical game when the next aqyn must continue the poetical sentence of the previous one. Aitys criteria: a) representatives of the same tribe do not compete; b) no contest between the males and females – relatives along the male line. The XIX century famous aityskers - Orynbai, Shozhe, Suimbai, Birzhan, Jambul, Maikot, Aset, etc. Among the prominent women aitysker of XIX century were: Sara, Aqsulu, manta, Bolyq, Ryszhan. The musical structure of aitys- tuning: 1) maqam (originates from epics narration); 2) saryn (originates from shamans/baqsy recitative). The tuning functions are: 1) artistic expression of the idea to bring it to the listeners; 2) positive impression on public; 3) individual style of the performer. Aitys includes elements of dramatizing, art of improvisation, signing and speaking culture. The places where aityses are held are richly decorated, and the participants wear bright garments. The aitys content depended on the social-political situation, the nature of relations between the tribes and clans, actual themes within the tribal life, participants’ potential, ambitions and qualities, but to focus on the selected topic. Often the participants shifted to general topics to personal relationship criticizing each others’ deficits and vices. Aityses were held for tribal supremacy demonstration, for participants- defend the tribal reputation, excel in professional learning, they were highly praised and rewarded- cattle (horse, camel), gifts, reputation, for training, experience sharing and enrichment of the repertoire. The most reputable aityses performers were titled sal or sere/seri- Birzhan –sal (Birzhan the noble, Akhan-sere (knight). The high level of musical and poetical culture was maintained through creation and development of traditions through regular performances and participation in aityses but training of disciples that accompanied aqyns and copied, memorized and then transmitted their music, performance techniques, texts of their songs and poems. The training for aitys participants (aitysker) lasted for many years and consisted of the stages: 1) memorization of others’ songs; 2) light tests- aqyn was to reveal his own talents by signing his songs that copied/imitated the well-known patterns; 3) participation in aityses on the given topic with improvisation; 4) maturity – personal and artistic- creation of individual works and free expression of talents in the contests.

Types: a) light- “qaimdasy and qagysy - held in public places – bazaars, commemorations feasts- between famous aitys masters, or between young lady and young man in form of improvisation in form of message coding- its decoding – and coding a reply message; 2) aitys aqyn for inter-tribal disputes settlement (tura-aitys- antiphon from both parties for each couplet of improvisation; sore-aitys- higher level when the participants must demonstrate innovation, creativity, smartness, taste, logic, flexibility, humor, laconism in phrases construction and fast reaction); 3) badik-aitys – spellings performed one by one by males and females to oust evil spirit of illness (badik)or performed in playful form by young men- girls and men in exchange for poetical and musical contest; 4) tartys – contest in knowledge of epics or kuis creation and improvisation; 5) ritualistic- zhar-zhar- performed in chorus by young men and women before the wedding ceremony opening; 6) riddle aitys in form of verses; 7) taq,paq, tas aitys – for testing improvisational and poetical skills – participants have to continue the in rhyme the line created by another one to finish it. The aitys types bear the specifics of historical period, for example, the early version of aitys were dialogue between the dead and the living persons, a man and animal, animals and things, and badik and zhar-zhar contain Islamic motives and notions (Mecca, Allah, Quday/god). Until mid XIX century aityses’ texts were unwritten and were retranslated from one generation to another.

In soviet times, aityses were employed to serve the ideological streamlining and indoctrination- to stimulate working enthusiasm, collectivism, leadership of the communist party, brotherhood between ethnic groups, belief in the bright future building- communism, criticism of the vices of the past- idleness, etc. The texts were censored to avoid regime criticism.

In present times, aityses are arranged by the local administration, and sponsored by state structures and big business, and individual entrepreneurs. The criteria for aitys contest participation are as follows: the candidate must improvise a song in 24 4-stanza verse, the first six lines must be dedicated to the contest organizers, 3- to praising the females that accompany the improver, 6 – praising cattle and property, 3 – humorous and 5- to the beloved one. The final 24th stanza is to be structured as anacyclical verse.

The aitys renaissance in post-1991 political, social and cultural life of Kazakh society was welcomed by the public, and initially supported by the government, but deepening of aitys topics, broad public resonance to the problems motioned by the airtyskers, fear of confidence loss to the state structure, forced the authorities since December 2010 (ban of the Minister of culture on the authorities criticism during the aitys) to strictly control the aitys process at all the stages- from the participants’ selection, content of their improvised texts, topics- only praising the regime and its achievements, and broadcasting).

The role of aitys in the Kazakh culture: a) mystical-religious; 2) philosophical; 3) social (self-realization for the aitys performer; 4) political; 5) educational; 6) moral.

In soviet times, aityses turned into an effective instrument of the ideological indoctrination and manipulation of mass consciousness to implant the ideas of better life under the regime or called attention to the unsettled social issues. Main topics- heroic struggle during the Great Patriotic war, virgin lands campaign, friendship of soviet people.

Bukhar-zhirau Kalkaman Uli ( (1693–1789) was a Kazakh poet at the court of the Middle Horde. His period of activity at the court lasted from 1711 until 1781, during the reign of the Abylay Khan. Although his primary activity was entertaining the court through poetry and singing, Kalmakanov also acted as an advisor to the Khan. Because of this, his poetry dealt with broader themes which included politics, the foreign policy of the horde, and the life of the Khan. Kalmakanov is not known to have written any epics.