Competition of real horsemen – kupkari

Kupkari (ulak, buzkashi) is a traditional equestrian

contest among the peoples of Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, the competition is also called kupkari ulak. In this game, daring riders compete for the carcass of a goat or calf (70-80 kg): the winner must come to the finish line, not allowing other riders to discourage the prey.

Doston (folk epic) is one of the widely spread and great jenres of Uzbek people. Its creation closely connected with ideals of spiritual-mode of life image, social-political struggle, moral-aesthetic outlook, justice and honesty, freedom and equality, heroism and patriotism.

Doston, being a composite art work in its creation there should be literary text, poem, music and saying ways, thanks to doston performers – bakhshi-poet (dostonchi (folk narrators), jyrau, yuzboshi, sannovchi, baksy) who represent in a single person a story-teller, poet, a singer with a voice, skillful musician and a professional artist mastering acting skills relatively.

Bakhshi is a professional artist singing by heart the collection, song and doston keeper, who transmits to generation people’s doston singer. He should be able effectively use different forms of alive people’s language, art of word and pun, proverbs and combinations, able to find tunes charming the listeners, singing the doston attractively and interesting is a main requirement. In its turn that requires natural talent and strong will, practising regular with diligence and patience.

People’s bakhshis of Uzbekistan like Bola bakhshi Abdullaev, Shoberdi Boltaev, Abdunazar Poyonov, Boborayim Mamatmurodov, Qora bakhshi Umirov, Abdukahhor and Abdumurot Rahimovs, Shomurod Togaev, Ziyodulla Islomov, Norbek bakhshi ABdullaev, Qalandar bakhshi Normetov, Qodir bakhshi Rahimov greatly contributed to the development of bakhshi art with their unique performance.

The art of bakhshi being developed in the regions of Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Samarkand, Khorezm and Republic of Karakalpakstan there are doston schools of Bulungur, Kurgon, Shakhrisabz, Qamay, Chiroqchi, Dehqonobod, Sherobod, Boysun, southern Tajikistan, Khorezm and Karakalpak. They differ from each other by their performance style and repertoire.

For instance, Bulubgur doston school is prominent by performing heroic dostons. At Gurgon doston school which connected with the names of Ergash Jumanbulbul ogli, Pulkan shoir mostly performed by lyric stories.

The representatives of Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Samarkand bakhshi schools singing collection-songs with guttural voice in accompaniment of dombra. The art of bakhshi of Surkhandrya connected with Sherobod-Boysun school and Sherna bakhshi was its founder, nowadays its traditions are continued by his apprentices (Qora bakhshi, Chori bakhshi, Shoberdi Boltaev, Abdunazar Poyonov, Boborayim Mamatmurodov and others).

The repertoire of Khorezm doston art has its own peculiarities. It is leading in singing collectively in epic work interpretation. The school divided into two directions called “Shirvoni” (Khiva) and “Ironi” (Manghit) has its ancient root, specific repertoire, composition of ensemble (Shirvoni – string, paired tube, tambourine; Ironi – dutor (a lute) and a three-stringed fiddle), method and dialect, bright and energetic song, rhyme and tune (from 15 to 36). The leading representative of Shirvoni bakhshi school is Bola bakhshi (Kurbonnazarov) Abdullaev and his children (Norbek, Mukhammad, Etmishboy); the representative of Eroni bakhshi school is Khudoibergan Utegenov.In Khorezm female  narrators also sing dostons and doston collection-songs they are called khalfa-dostonchi, for instance, the doston “Tohir and Zuhra” is popular among khalfas. Dostons were sung by hand instrument (Russian diatonic accordion) and tambourine accompaniment.

The Karakalpak bakhshi school consists of two directions – baksi (inner voice method accompanied by a lute and fiddle) and jyrau (hoarse voice method accompanied by qubiz). Bakhshi art is being mastered by young performers at Nukus art and culture college. The tradition representatives on baksi are Gayritdin Utemurotov, Uralboy Utambetov, Tengelboy Kalliev, Ziyoda Sharipova, Gulbahor Rametov, Gulnur Hamitova, Zamira Ibrohimova; on jyrau performing Jumaboy Jirov, Bakbergen Sirimbetov, Jonibek Piyazov, Bakhtiyor Esemuratov and others.

The art of bakhshi is specially valued in our country. Nevertheless, in doston narrating of our great history transmitting from language to language that sung greatly cordial features of our nation like tolerance, stableness and nobility. Therefore, dostons like “Alpomish”, “Gorogli”, “Kuntugmish” are vivid symbol of the power of our spirituality.

People’s bakhshis of Uzbekistan like Shoberdi Boltaev, Abdunazar Poyonov, Boborayim Mamatmurodov, Qora bakhshi Umirov, Abdukahhor and Abdumurot Rahimovs, Shomurod Togaev, Ziyodulla Islomov, Norbek bakhshi ABdullaev, Qalandar bakhshi Normetov greatly contributed to the development of bakhshi art. There is a regulation of traditional doston singing in Uzbek dostons.

The representatives of Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya and Samarkand bakhshi schools perform songs in accompaniment of dombra in hoarse i.e. closed voice and interpreting the doston process in open voice, Sherobod bakhshi school dostons differ with its simplicity and praise diminutiveness. One of the great representatives of this doston scholl is Shoberdi bakhshi Boltaev – people’s bakhshi of Uzbekistan. Shoberdi bakhshi has his own performing style by singing with pleasure dozens of dostons like Alpomish, Kuntugmish, Avazhon and Oyparcha. The dostons he sung are dinguished by literary complexity and attractiveness. People’s doston singer should be a word jeweller. In its turn it requires natural talent, strong will, regular effort and practising with patience – says Shoberdi bakhshi. Bakhshi should know the life and culture of people, the history of the country and able to play any musical instrument, master signing art strongly. He should be able effectively use different forms of alive people’s language, art of word and pun, proverbs and combinations.

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