On April 9, the Mukam Palace of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan hosted the final of the competition “The Craft of Dutar Making and the Art of Dutar Playing and Bagshi”, co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Central Council of the Magtymguly Youth Organization.
The main aim of the creative competition is to popularize the art of bagshi, which is an invaluable part of the Turkmen nation’s historical and cultural heritage and world culture, to perfect the craft of folk instrument making, to exchange professional expertise, and to further develop the national school of dutarchi and bagshi.
Among those in attendance were teachers and students from specialized music institutions, staff of cultural centers and theaters, and amateur performers. The competition was held within three categories: dutar making, dutar playing, and the art of bagshi.
The best dutarchis (dutar makers) and bagshis chosen by the qualified jury received awards and certificates of merit. One of the winners was Kakamurad Magtymberdyev, a dutar maker from Akhal Velayat.
- As a child I eagerly watched my father making dutars, trying to learn all the tricks of the trade, the luthier told. I mastered my father’s professional techniques over time.
Not only is the dutar-making process labor intensive and requires talent and a high degree of expertise, it is very time consuming and needs great patience too. Starting from wood preparation, it can take from months to one year to make a good instrument. Turkmen luthiers make the body and top (or soundboard) of the dutar using wood from perennial mulberry tree trunks that have no flaws. The wood first is “seasoned” that is allowed to dry in the sun, and only after that work pieces are cut from it.
Kakamurad taught his brother Dovletyar everything he had learned from their father. His brother also earned a certificate of merit in the competition. “We have recently started to place a distinctive mark on our instruments: a bell symbolizing a clean, clear and powerful sound”, Kakamurad said. He enjoys playing the dutar, his favorite instrument, and often performs on festive occasions and during family celebrations.
Another participant in the competition, Myahri Allakova from Balkan Velayat also has special love for Turkmen folk songs. She is an alumnus of the Maya Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory. Her soulful performance of ‘Haýyt Ýykan’ impressed everyone with its extraordinary rich intonation patterns.
Myahri began to sing in grade four, and later she honed her singing skills at Balkan Velayat Specialized Music School. Her first mentor was Meretguly Annadurdyev.
- I particularly love singing folk songs. They have very deep meanings, and truly distinctive and accented dutar sounds allow me to improvise vocally, Myahri said.
Ayjahan ATABALLYEVA
Photo: Yuri SHKURIN
