(Re)Claiming a Vocal Vernacular: Revival and Modernization of Kömei in Contemporary Kazakh Music

Kömei is a practice of throat-singing that was brought in to Kazakhstan from the Altai region of southern Siberia at the beginning of the twenty-first century and has since been reconfigured as a national sound that is emblematic of the Turkic nomadic origins of Kazakh culture and spirituality. A su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asian music 2021-07, Vol.52 (2), p.170-202
Main Author: Daukeyeva, Saida
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
21st century
Colloquial language
Culture
History
Modernization
Music
Music festivals
Musicians & conductors
Singing
Sound
Traditions
Turkic languages
World music
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Summary:Kömei is a practice of throat-singing that was brought in to Kazakhstan from the Altai region of southern Siberia at the beginning of the twenty-first century and has since been reconfigured as a national sound that is emblematic of the Turkic nomadic origins of Kazakh culture and spirituality. A subject of debate in contemporary Kazakhstani society, kömei is an attribute of ethnomusic that juxtaposes traditional and modern, local and global stylistic elements. This article surveys the history of the kömei revival and modernization, interrogating its appeal as a sonic icon of indigeneity. I argue that by (re)claiming kömei as a vocal vernacular, artists creatively reposition Kazakh music historically and geoculturally and thus project a vision of a nation both connected to its ancient roots and attuned to globalized modernity.
ISSN:0044-9202
1553-5630
1553-5630
DOI:10.1353/amu.2021.0018