Kazakh kuoer

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Kazakh kuoer

Applicant: Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Item No.: 625

Project No.: Ⅱ - 126

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Type: new item

Applicant: Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Protection unit: Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture song and Dance Troupe

Brief introduction of Kazakh kuoer

Applicant: Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Kuoer is an important part of Kazakh Folk Instrumental Music, spread in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Among the solos of traditional Kazakh musical instruments such as Dongbula, kubuzi and sibuzi, there are a number of melodious and graceful music, which Kazakh people are used to call "62 kuoer". "62" and "kuoer" are two sacred words in the minds of Chinese Kazaks. "Kuoer" is an ancient Kazakh language, which is specially used to describe beautiful things. Therefore, Kazaks call it "kuoer", which is the deepest, most beautiful and most touching music. The so-called "62" is not a definite and simple concept of quantity. It has multiple meanings such as "numerous", "important" and "representative".

62. All kinds of music in kuoer came into being in different historical periods of Kazakh's emergence, formation and development. For example, the Alman (wish) by khozikorpusi appeared in the 4th century BC, the shaerwuho (Yellow River) by shayimak came into being in the 1st century BC, kuoer by kuoerkut came into being at the turn of the 7th and 8th centuries, and kelbu came into being Aksakkulan is a product of the 13th century. Kazitogan's shagennis (Miss) was born in the 15th century. Tatmubuick's shalekuen'er, kujieken's akhukuen'er (White Swan), kayrekebayi's tierkouen'er and mayidakuen'er are all works of the 19th century. These songs are widely spread among the Kazakh people, providing eternal spiritual food and the link of national identity for generations of Kazakh people. The main musical instruments of Kazakh kuoer are Dongbula, kuerzi and sibuzi. Dongbula can play a variety of timbres with various playing techniques; kubuzi can play a simple and emotional melody; sibuzi can play a simple continuous long tone. These music shows the unique music aesthetic concept of Kazakh people.

Kuoer carries and records the Kazakh people's memory of their ancestors and national history. The five tone and seven tone music shows the multi-source of Kazakh nationality and the situation of Kazakh music culture's collision and integration with Mongolian, Han, Turkic and Indo European nationalities in the long process of historical development. It has the characteristics of history, folklore, ethnology and humanism The research value of anthropology, art and so on. At present, with the development of society and the disappearance of traditional language, Kazakh kuoer, an ancient art form, is in danger of being lost. It is in urgent need of rescue and support, protection and inheritance.