Turan - Kazakhstan

Seventeen years ago, as students of the Kazachse Nationaal conservatory, they created 'Turan', a vibrant example of the rich music culture from Kazakhstan and the surrounding Turkic-speaking countries. The five incredibly talented members play more than fifty folk instruments such as the dombra, zhetygen, kobyz, sybyzgie, korter, and shankobyz in a swirling show with infectious singing. Meanwhile, they are the most important musical ambassadors of the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia. They also talk about the healing properties of these instruments, about their special magical powers, and touch on the subject of baksy (shamans). Most of their national instruments, such as the dangyra and the kobyz, date back to the baksy era. Since its inception, the Turan ethno-folk ensemble has made an impression, making them very popular in Central Asia, but also successful in the rest of the world. They have played more than 3000 concerts in 122 cities around the world, including in prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center of Carnegie Hall. In addition to well-known Kazakh instruments, they also highlight instruments from other Turkic countries, including the Kyrgyz komuz, the Turkish baglama, and the Azerbaijani kamancha. Introduction at 7:15 PM by Johan Van Acker, musicologist.