In Kyrgyzstan, Komuz Day gives life to heritage music

The art of playing the Komuz is highlighted during the annual celebration of Komuz Day in Kyrguzsyan (Khabar)

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan has celebrated with great pride the komuz, a three-stringed musical instrument that has become a national icon venerated by leaders and people with a day – September 9 – dedicated to it.

“The Komuz is the pride of our national culture, a special symbol of folk art,” President Sadyr Zhaparov said in his congratulations to the people of Kyrgyzstan on Komuz Day.

Commitment to national tradition is openly displaed on Komuz Day (Kabar)

“Our ancient people seemed to be born together with the komuz, the komuz and the Kyrgyz are inseparable from each other. Komuz holds a special place in the traditional culture of the Kyrgyz people. The melody of the magic instrument, merging with the blood and soul of the Kyrgyz, encouraged, giving him strength and spirit,” he said, quoted by Kabar news agency.

“Komuz is a tool that can explain the inner world of a person, thoughts and the depth of his feelings” (Kabar)

Komuz is a tool that can explain the inner world of a person, thoughts and the depth of his feelings. The sound of the golden string and the voice of the singer indicate the joys and sorrows of our people, he added.

The komuz consists of two main parts – The body and the neck and the strings are usually stretched along them. The length of the komuz is usually 90 centimeters and the width, at its widest part, is from 19/5 to 22.5 centimeters.

The komuz is generally made from a single piece of wood, usually apricot or juniper. The strings were traditionally made from the guts and veins of animals, but from silk threads, synthetic materials such as fishing line in modern times.

The players usually perform while sitting and holding the komuz in a horizontal position and rarely stand.

Playing the komuz is more than a passion. It is a way of life in Kyrgyzstan (Kabar)

Komuz is a tool that can explain the inner world of a person, thoughts and the depth of his feelings. The sound of the golden string and the voice of the singer indicate the joys and sorrows of our people, Zhaparov added.

“We must not forget that the sacred duty of every Kyrgyz citizen is to respect and honor the great heritage of the Kyrgyz – komuz,” he said.

The president said in his congratulations that he looked forward to Komuz Day becoming a traditional holiday and that the good event will continue to find its rightful place in the cultural life of Kyrgyzstan.

Kmouz traditions are passed on across generations as a national asset (Kabar)

People, including students, have been marking the occasion with flash mob and choreographed performances rich in music and colors.

On July 29, 2019, then President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov signed a decree that the Komuz Day is celebrated annually on September 9.