[im] (no subject)

[János Sugár]

Kyrgyz artist Gulzada Ryskulova has rocked the local music scene with 
a powerful take on an epic poem that serves as a fundament of the 
Central Asian country's culture.

 M a n a s   i s   t h e   c l a s s i c   c e n t e r p i e c e  
 o f   K y r g y z   l i t e r a t u r e ,   a n d   p a r t s   o f  
 i t   a r e   o f t e n   r e c i t e d   a t   K y r g y z  
 f e s t i v i t i e s   b y   s p e c i a l i s t s   i n   t h e  
 e p i c ,   c a l l e d   M a n a s c h i  .   M a n a s c h i s  
 t e l l   t h e   t a l e   i n   a   m e l o d i c   c h a n t  
 u n a c c o m p a n i e d   b y   m u s i c a l  
 i n s t r u m e n t s . Reciters of the Manas are guardians of an 
oral folklore whose origins remain obscure. They are also almost 
always men.
  K y r g y z s t a n   h a s   m a n y   M a n a s c h i s .  
 N a r r a t o r s   w h o   k n o w   a l l   t h r e e  
 e p i s o d e s   o f   t h e   e p i c   ( t h e   t a l e s   o f  
 M a n a s ,   o f   h i s   s o n   S e m e t e i   a n d   o f  
 h i s   g r a n d s o n   S e i t e k )   c a n   a c q u i r e  
 t h e   s t a t u s   o f   G r e a t   M a n a s c h i .  
 G r e a t   M a n a s c h i s   o f   t h e   2 0 t h  
 c e n t u r y   a r e   S a g i m b a i   O r o z b a k o v ,  
 S a y a k b a i   K a r a l a y e v ,   S h a a b a i  
 A z i z o v ,   K a b a   A t a b e k o v ,   S e i d e n e  
 M o l d o k o v a   a n d   Y u s u p   M a m a i . 

Now, with the release of a song based on the epic and sung by a 
woman, the tale of Manas has a new twist, now carrying an urgent 
message about the need to preserve the country's incredible nature 
and its nomadic heritage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe7-MYliEzM

https://globalvoices.org/2016/12/09/now-thats-epic-kyrgyz-woman-pop-star-remakes-poem-traditionally-sung-by-men/