ART AND CULTURE BULLETIN
Articles · 2026/3

KARAKALPAK NATIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS, PERFORMANCE TRADITIONS AND CULTURAL FUNCTIONS

  • Kamal Dauletmuratov Nukus branch of the Uzbek State Institute of Arts and Culture image/svg+xml
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.66900/59ha2g91
Keywords

karakalpak music, national musical instruments, kobyz, dutar, girjek, zhyrau, bakhshi, intangible cultural heritage

Abstract

The article examines the historical development, organological features, performance traditions, and cultural functions of Karakalpak national musical instruments. Scholarly studies, museum records and UNESCO materials concerning the kobyz, dutar, girjek, balaman, reed flute, surnay, shynkobyz, ushpilek and dap are analysed comparatively. The principal contribution is an integrated model that treats each instrument as part of an “instrument – performer – genre – audience setting” system rather than as an isolated acoustic object. The study distinguishes the genre and stylistic roles of the kobyz in the zhyrau tradition and the dutar in the bakhshi tradition, and proposes practical measures for preserving traditional timbres through education, digital documentation and responsible orchestral adaptation.

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