The art of bakhshi (bakhshychylyk) is one of the ancient ones. The bakhshi, storyteller of national epos – dastans, is a master of word, skilful musician and singer. Using all forms of live national language, he should manage to interest his listener.
In the history of Turkmen there are a lot of talented bakhshis, who have won the true love of people.
One of them is Durdymyrat Berdiyev who is known by the name Umyt bakhshi. He has left a large number of songs, numerous dastans and poetic works. His voice sounded not only in cities of Mary and Akhal, but also in the remote countryside.
From his early years, Umyt bakhshi listened to various stories from life of ordinary people, interesting stories of elders of village, learnt poems by Mahtumkuli. So, Durdymyrat decided to be engaged in creative activity, to connect his life with art. His dastans «Ayna» and «Mayagozel» have won the special love of Turkmen people.
Other representative of the art of bakhshi is Chary bakhshi. He was also named as Chary shakhyr.
He was born in 1939 in the village of Gorjov of Gokdepe district, later with his family moved to Tejen. And it was there that the future bakhshi started his career. He took the first lessons of music from his uncle Aydogdy bakhshi and then he was trained by Umyt bakhshi. Ahead the beginning musician was expected to get acquainted with Sakhy Jepbarov, Chary Tachmammedov, and Saparguly Ishankulyev who were famous bards of those days. They helped the young talent to create such songs as «Gulkhanym», «Bichare».
«Bichare» which during long time sounded on the Turkmen radio, became the most famous of them. Later they began to name its performer Chary Bichare as well.
Other student of Durdymurat Berdiyev was the winner of the All-Union Music Festival Yazmyrat bakhshi. In 1990, he took part in the regional youth festival and masterfully sung Turkmen national songs «Yigide», «Ak maya gerek». The first composition - «Yerin emeli hemrasy» (The artificial satellite of the earth) was performed by the bakhshi in the holiday of harvest in Akhal.
It should be noted that inclusion of the art of bakhshi in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was considered at the first session of the National Commission for UNESCO of Turkmenistan in November 2020.
Ayjakhan Ataballyeva
