Үkyly Ybray – Versatile Master of Transformations

Abstract

Arka song tradition of XX century is the most significant phenomenon of the
Kazakh musical culture. The true disclosure of the value qualities of this tradition is inconceivable without
the knowledge of the stylistic features of the composer’s individualities.
The article is aimed to consider stylistic features of the legacy of Arka song tradition’s outstanding
representative singer and akyn-improviser Ibray Sadybayuly. Throughout the study of poetic and musical
language’s stylistic features and analyzing the formation of his songs, it was possible to reveal the
uniqueness, i.e. innovative features of his style.
Painting life in comic tones, full of subtle humor and irony, Ybyray serves as an innovator,
destroying the generally accepted norms of “the allowed” in the song lyrics of sals and seri. The versatility
of talent of Ykily Ybray, which includes special Akyn talent (eloquence and sharpness of the tongue)
and “extraordinariness” of temperamental nature combined with deep lyricism, influenced the emotional content and musical style of the songs. His features are genre diversity and breadth of themes. In his
work, two lines of traditional art have organically intertwined: the song lyrics of sals and seri and the
edifying terme-zheldirme of akin-zhyraus. Reliance on traditional verse forms (11-lined kara-olen and
7-8-lined size of zhyrs), and their interpenetration led to the creation of diverse, both traditional and new,
synthesizing poetic forms and genres (as an-terme and an-zheldirme). This synthesis became the basis of
compositional innovation.
As he lived in the «joint» of two epochs (pre-revolutionary and Soviet), transformation of
traditional genres and forming new figurative and poetic meanings , has become natural in the creative
work of Үkili Ybray. Some songs of philosophical and subjective content, composed in the framework of
traditional themes,began to sound in a new way. Mostly, this is a protest against the new morality and crisis
phenomena occurring in the traditional society of the Soviet era. It was no accident that his name and songs
were forbidden for a long time.
The article also reveals the peculiarities of Үkili Ybray’s song performances through the work of
the famous musician Kairat Baibosynov, as it is Kairat Baibosynov, who has done a tremendous job in
popularizing Ykili Ybray’s song heritage.