Gifts from the homeland of the master

Students of Aktobe College of Music celebrated his birthday with a trip to Zhanaturmys – the small homeland of the Zhubanovs – and to the Kurmangazy Conservatory, where the master of Kazakh academic music has worked since its opening.

The group was headed by the acting director of this educational institution, Adilet Kuzembayev, and a veteran of professional training, Amanzhol Ismagulov.
– The idea of the trip was Adilet Altynbekovich, it was gladly supported by me and the deputy director of the college for academic affairs Zhenis Elemesov, – says Amanzhol Dyusenovich. – On the way to Mugalzhar district, in Kandyagash, Zhanat Kulzhanov, director of the Zhubanov Medical School, joined us. Without breaking tradition, we visited the cemetery where many of the Zhubanov family are buried, including Kuan, and drank water from his well. Zhanaturmys and residents of the surrounding villages use this water, believing in its healing power. Whoever drank this water will confirm.
On the occasion of Sunday, the meeting at the school did not work out, but the guests were warmly welcomed by the teacher Saken Nuriyev. After that, the guests gave a concert at the village club.
– The concert turned out to be modest, but sincere, – Amanzhol Ismagulov continued. – What is it for a musician to give a concert if he does it every day? I played saz-syrnai, Adilet – dombra, Zhenis – accordion, Zhanat – shan-kobyz, everyone sang. As a gift to the school, we left the anniversary edition of “Akhmet Zhubanov” and music collections.
After getting off the train at the Almaty platform at five in the morning, the first thing we did was visit the grave of Akhmet Kuanovich at the Central Cemetery, after which we went to the conservatory, where we were expected by a recent agreement.
How can guests from the hinterland surprise the cultural capital? But we were the first to congratulate the conservatory on its 80th anniversary, and we learned about ourselves that the Akhmet Zhubanov College of Music is the leader in the number of students at this university: today about two hundred of our graduates study there. Acting Rector Nurken Ashirov also noted the high quality of training for Aktobe residents. As for choosing the specialization of future musicians, most of them study at the faculties of folk instruments and solo singing.
Many of our graduates work at the conservatory – Abdulhamit Raimbergenov, Ersain Basygaraev, Zamzagul Izmuratova, Marlene Kokisheva, Bolatbek Nurkasymov, Almat Abishev, Asylbek Kenegesov and others. The head of the Department of Choral Conducting Bazargali Zhamanbayev did not study at the Aktobe Music School, but was born in our region and always emphasizes this. I am proud to note that our former student Nurgul Zhakypbek opened a zhetygen class at the conservatory, prepares instrumentalists for the whole country. The current director of the Saltanat State Dance Ensemble, also a graduate of our college and the Kurmangazy Conservatory, added the number of fellow countrymen.
The concert of Aktobe residents in the small hall named after Akhmet Zhubanov was given by the winner of the Grand Prix of the recent Navruz-2024 competition in Tashkent – the folklore ensemble of students “Serpin” and one of the few Kazangapologists, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhailau Asylkhanov. The program was led by Amanzhol Ismagulov, who emphasized the success of the idea:
– We tied the 170th anniversary of Kazangap, another outstanding native of the region, to the arrival in Almaty, so the concert would have been incomplete without Zhailau. Nurken Ashirov expressed his pleasant surprise at the concert and thanked us for the memory of an outstanding countryman. One of the points of the trip was communication with our graduates, current students of the conservatory, so we more than carried home-made gifts and had a good dinner.
As part of Akhmet Zhubanov’s birthday, Amanzhol Ismagulov, Zhailau Asylkhanov and Adilet Kuzembayev became guests of a news program on AQTOBE TV.

One of the traditions of the Zhuban people

– “Zhubanov meetings” in Aktobe Music College have been held for a long time, now they have the status of republican competitions. This year we have conducted them in five directions. A competition for vocalists, pianists, brass players, folk singers and violinists. The latter is named after the first Kazakh violinist, a native of Irgiz district, Alim Almat (Galymzhan Abdisalamov), and the brass competition is named after Vladimir Fomenko, whose merits in the development of wind music in the region are undeniable. The participation of Orenburg spiritualists this spring has raised the competition to the international level,” says Amanzhol Ismagulov.

Mysticism, and that’s all

– I would like to share two events that we experienced during our trip to Zhanaturmys and Almaty, – says Amanzhol Ismagulov. – When we turned off the road of republican significance towards the village, I must admit, no one knew the direction well. A drone was launched to take pictures, and a second later a pair of cranes grazing by the side of the road took off and flew ahead of us, as if pointing the way. All the companions were impressed: everyone thought that it was the spirits of the Zhubanov ancestors who supported our idea to worship their ashes.
The plans of his stay in Almaty included a visit to the Zhubanovs’ apartment museum on Karasai Batyr Street. As a gift to the museum, we have prepared the instrumentation of kuya “Karabas”, made by Akhmet Kuanovich.
What was the surprise when the guide Rysta accompanied her joy with the following fact: “We did not have this score, and it was upsetting. A few days ago, I had a dream where I was informed that very soon a curly-haired guy would bring us a Carabas. Here you are!”