‘We need to start making dombras on a large scale’
Dartfest has discussed the ways of development of Tatar music
The DartFest festival was held in the Kazan Kremlin on Republic Day. The Akyl Fabrikasy lecture course was organised at it, where the deputy editor-in-chief of Realnoe Vremya online newspaper, Radif Kashapov, held a discussion on the topic of ways to develop Tatar music. The participants offered to arrange a flash mob with the participation of 100 cubists, and the Saydashev Museum — to get its own orchestra.
“One of the problems is the manufacture of instruments”
Almaz Askhadullin, the leader of the ALPAR ethnic group, who performs ancient music on ethnic instruments — dombra, kyl-kubyz, quray, and various percussion, took the floor first. This year, Askhadullin was responsible for the music in the theatrical prologue at the Kazan Sabantuy.
Also in September, the ensemble is travelling to Atyrau, Kazakhstan. Through communication with other teams, Askhadullin understood the common pain — the lack of good instruments. Therefore, ALPAR, as an association of creators and craftsmen, began to make instruments themselves.
“Why is Tatar music still associated with bayans?" the question was asked. This is due to several factors, Askhadullin explained. In particular, with the mass release of bayans.
“We need to start making dombras on a large scale," the musician continued. “Master Jalil and I started making beautiful kyl kobyzes and dombras. But they are very expensive. Because these are artisan instruments. That's why we started making kobyzes. We already have 100 of them, and these kobyzes have a stand for teeth.”
Therefore, Askhadullin proposed to arrange a flash mob — to gather a hundred people who are ready to play kobyz and record it on video.
“I feel sad at the Miras Festival”
Aydar Niyazov, who is studying to be a conductor, is known as the head of the Orchestra of National Music. The orchestra ceased to exist a few months ago, but now they intend to revive it, since Niyazov managed to win a grant from Uz Telem to conduct concerts. The band plays exclusively Tatar music.
There is practically no conventionally “Tatar” music on digital platforms, the conductor pointed out, except in rare cases. But why aren't they recorded by the State Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan?
“They should be interested in this music," Niyazov expressed his opinion. “At the Miras Festival, I feel sad because I see: this music is not played there from the heart.
Therefore, the musician expressed gratitude to the Kamal Theatre Orchestra, which is working on the poem “Su Anasi” by Enver Bakirov this season. It should be noted that, in fact, the opera and ballet theatre should do such work.
“We don't have a young Tatar orchestra. All the orchestras that you know are attached to theatres," Niyazov pointed out, after which a reasonable thought sounded: after all, the musicians of the Orchestra of National Music often play in the Saydashev Museum, why not assign it to this institution? In the end, Niyazov complained that classical musicians do not have enough experienced managers.
“What is happening now is ripples on the water”
The director of the museum, Aydar Akhmadiev, noted that any movement, project, begins with 100-300 people. So it's only a matter of time before it gets big. Akhmadiev was sitting next to Milyausha Khayrullina, with whom, as a librettist, he wrote the opera Kavi-Sarvar. Khayrullina is studying in Moscow.
“I have overgrown contacts," she told the news. “I'm doing orchestrations, edits, and I have planned several projects for next year. The last two years have been spent under the sign of Kavi-Sarvar. When there was a choice, a festival, a laboratory in other cities, or my opera, singing, rehearsals, I chose Kazan.
The “soft power of networking” is difficult for all composers, Khairullina noted, pointing out that educational institutions produce many music authors, but we don't even know most of them. She is now preparing for a song concert at the Grand Concert Hall on September 20.
“I've been saving up for it for six months," Khayrullina admitted. “I don't rest at all. I work until 3-4 am to raise money: renting a hall, a piano, projectors. The Grand Concert Hall doesn't even have normal microphones! After Kavi Sarwar, people will come — and it should be special. There are a million positions that I want to do efficiently. And now I'm working, saving up for my concert.
“It seems to me that development is based on individuals," Khayrullina summarised. “There was serious state support at the beginning of the 20th century, when the USSR decided to show that every nation in the country has its own face. There is no such thing now. What is happening now is ripples on the water. Now everything depends on us personally.”