WOSAS : F56
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WOSAS/CD34/track1
R67.wav
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Sound recording, interview; with a Kyrgyz
Manaschi by Ben Haggarty and Sianed Jones, through a translator,
whilst on a research trip to the Kyrgyz Republic 2000
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Ben Haggarty and Sianed Jones questioning a
Manaschi through a translator, about episodes of the epic of
manas which he has sung, and their themes.
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A Manaschi is an epic singer who has devoted
his or her life to singing the epic of the founder of the Kyrgyz
nation, the blue-skinned warrior, Manas. The Manas epic is an
encyclopaedic compendium of narratives. Ostensibly it tells of
how the hero Manas, and his forty companions united many Turkic
tribes into one nation and how they secured Kyrgyzstan as their
homeland. On one level it is a sprawling epic of death and war,
but on other elvels it is a story of a close knit family, giving
detailed accounts of the daily and domestic life of a nomadic,
pasoralist community. On another level it also contains magical
tales of animal/human transformations, strange beasts and
dissappearing sorcerers etc - wonders which betray the
pre-Islamic animism of the region, traces of which survive even
in the present day culture. Some children dream of Manas, which
indicates that they may become a Manas singer. Children as young
as eight years old are taken to special classes to learn the
epic. The epic is first learned by rote, which also establishes
the rhythmic pattern of the recitals and verse construction. Then
in their teen years, provisional Manaschis may be permitted to
improvise their own versions. Senior Manaschis then decide
whether or not someone has the true gift or calling, and then
help these students to develop and perform in public. The story
is chanted on a variety of very marked rhythms, which are said to
recall the act of riding. The tradition has a distinctive style
of emphatic gesture. In performing episodes of the epic, some
Manaschi are considered to become direct communicators with the
spirits of Manas and the other founding ancestors. Manaschi
appear to become lost in a trance like state when they recite the
epic, and accomplished Manaschis will perform for up to six hours
at a time.
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language:-
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Kyrgyz; English
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recording quality
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condition:-
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good
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completeness:-
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complete
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duration:-
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0 hours, 13 minutes, 37 seconds
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interview:-
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interviewee; manaschi
male / Kyrgyz / occupation manaschi
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interview:-
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interviewer: Ben Haggarty
male / British / born 30.11.1958 / occupation performance
storyteller; promoter
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interview:-
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interviewer: Sianed Jones
female / Welsh / British / occupation musician; singer
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origin:-
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Kyrgyzstan, Asia, central
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Sianed Jones during field trip to Kyrgyzstan
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Ben Haggarty during field trip to Kyrgystan
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Ben Haggarty with manaschi Nazarkul Seidrahmanov during field
trip to Kyrgyzstan
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traditional singer performing for Ben Haggarty and Sianed Jones
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A child or apprentice manschi performing for Ben Haggarty and
Sianed Jones
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Manaschi, Nazarkul Seidrahmanov performing for Ben Haggarty and
Sianed Jones
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members of field trip and Manschi, Nazarkul Seidrahmanov
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Kyrgyzstan landscape
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Click to enlarge images
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interview:-
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Kyrgyzstan, Asia, Central
2000
research trip; research interview
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field recording from:-
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musician; singer; composer: Sianed Jones
storyteller: Ben Haggarty
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© The London Centre for International Storytelling:
2007