ABSTRACT
The qobyz is a two-stringed horsehair fiddle, ascribed ancient origins and considered sacred among the Kazakhs, whose versatile mimetic sound was once used in shamanic rituals and epic narration to evoke nature and animal spirits worshipped by the nomads. Adopted into narrative art performance in the nineteenth century, the instrument underwent a dramatic history of suppression, decline and revival as a national cultural symbol in Soviet and post-Soviet Kazakhstan, and has more recently reached worldwide audiences, eliciting new respon - ses to its sonic mediation of the spirit realm. This chapter traces the historical evolution and recent journeys of the qobyz in the changing political and cultural contexts of Kazakh society, exploring the social roles and sacred connota - tions of sound mimesis in qobyz performance. The narrative centres on “Aqqu” (White Swan), an early instrumental piece based on a legend, performed by acclaimed qobyz player, Raushan Orazbaeva. Orazbaeva’s compelling depiction of the “Aqqu” legend in sound recreates shamanic ritualized evocation of spirits in an art concert setting. Her interpretation of the piece is emblematic of the con temporary redis - covery of the qobyz tradition, rooted in nomadic spirituality, in Kazakhstan and beyond. The chapter examines the structure and aesthetics of Orazbaeva’s mimetic performance in order to elucidate the nature of modern qobyz musicianship and situate it in relation to both local and global music culture and discourse.
