Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Arabic Musical Instruments_part 3

The oud counterpart, KOMUZ.

KOMUZ
An ancient fretless string instrument used in Central Asian music, related to certain other Turkic string instruments and the lute. It is often used in the Kyrgyz Music in the Kyrgyzstan culture. The Kyrgyz are a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan.

A traditional Kyrgyz Manaschi performing part of the Manas epic poem at a yurt camp in Karakol


KYRGYZ MUSIC

The main feature of the distinctive style of Kyrgyz music is the images it conjures in the mind. There is a very wide picturesque range: from heroics with dramatic (epic) effects, to the beauty of natural scenery (mountains, trees and streams) and domestic themes.

BACK TO KOMUZ: INFORMATION
The komuz is generally made from a single piece of wood (usually apricot or juniper) and has three strings traditionally made out of gut, and often from fishing line in modern times. The golcha gopuz is made from a leather covering which covered around two-thirds of the surface, and the other third is covered with thin wood along with the sound board.



MYTHS ON KOMUZ
Various myths exist about the komuz. One tells that the hunter Kambarkan was wandering in the forest when he heard a beautiful sound. He looked for the source and found the intestine of a squirrel tied between two tree branches, which he took and fashioned into a musical instrument. It is also said that the nightingale learned to sing by copying the komuz.

FACTS: This instrument was thought to have magical powers and was brought to wars and used in military bands

Lets take a look at how Komuz is played!



With singing (Kyrgyz Music)

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