Foreign producers show interest in musicians from Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz traditional music groups have captured the attention of foreign music producers. The Ministry of Culture of Kyrgyzstan reported.

The interest emerged during Rukh Sanat World Festival of Traditional Culture and Music, held on August 1–3 on the shores of Issyk-Kul Lake in Cholpon-Ata. The results of work of a special business platform «Market», where traditional music performers met with international producers, were also summed up at the event.

Among the participants were well-known ensembles such as TURAN (Kazakhstan), BANI (Georgia), IPEK YOLU (Turkey), ZAII ZAMAN (Egypt), and DOBUN (Sakha Republic, Russia). Kyrgyz groups KERBEZ, URKOR, and AKAK also showcased their work.

The «Market» became a hub for live interaction, professional showcases, and new creative acquaintances. Musical groups and solo artists from Egypt, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan presented their performances and projects to producers from Belgium, Morocco, Germany, Mongolia, Egypt, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.

Birgit Ellinghaus, director of Alba Kultur and a world music expert from Germany, noted that musicians from Central Asia have significant potential for representation on the global stage.

According to «Market» curator Azamat Zhamankulov, producers expressed particular interest in Kyrgyz group KERBEZ as well as other festival participants. Contacts were exchanged, and discussions began regarding future participation in music festivals.

«Our primary goal was to create a space, where traditional music groups could connect with producers. Such formats are almost nonexistent in Central Asia. We’ve made it happen, giving artists the chance not only to perform, but also to present themselves, tell their stories, and hear professional feedback,» he said.

These are the kinds of outcomes we work for — artists gain the opportunity to go beyond national borders, producers discover new names, and traditional music gets a second wind.

Azamat Zhamankulov

Over the course of two days, the following events took place:

• Group presentations, where artists shared details about their ensemble, instruments, history, and artistic journey.
• Showcases — evening performances that allowed producers to gauge live audience reactions.
• B2B meetings and informal discussions, where initial talks on future collaborations took place.