Kapsamat took up the dombra as a child and attended a musical school to fine-tune her skills. She had also grown up in a musical family. Her relatives play several different instruments, and her father plays the dombra and sings traditional Kazakh songs. Although, Kapsamat is the only one who has learned it professionally. While many Kazakhs began to speak Russian at home after Kazakhstan fell under Soviet rule, Kapsamat’s family spoke Kazakh and have always made it a point to be connected to their ancestors. The dombra is another link to their history and is intertwined with Kazakhstan’s nomadic roots. “Earlier, you could find the dombra in every yurt. It was connected with the necessary subjects of the lives of Kazakhs,” says Kapsamat to Vogue in Russian. “It was very easy for nomads to carry the dombra because it is so light.”
Over the past several years, the dombra, which has origins that trace back 4,000 years, has had a resurgence in Kazakhstan culture due to government initiatives to revive it. “Almost every second Kazakh can play on the dombra, maybe not professionally, but the main thing is that they play and feel the soul of our ancestors.” The dombra might vary in size and look according to region. (There is a lot of ground to cover in Kazakhstan, which is bigger than Western Europe.) As of 2018, there is a national dombra day, and there is now a stamp that features the instrument.
When Kapsamat plays, she makes a meticulous effort to play the dombra in national dress. “It’s to express the soul and traditions of our people,” she says. “I try to shoot videos in national dress. To convey the spirit and tradition of our people. And, in everyday clothes, I try to use elements of the national style.” As a nomadic culture, Kazakh dress varied from tribe to tribe, and was used to reflect the status and age of the wearer. Kapsamat wears a traditional robe and fur hat. Footwear also comes into play. “Its appearance is a reflection of the nomadic life of the people,” she says. “Since the Kazakhs often had to change their habitats, they preferred high boots.” Currently, Kapsamat specially rents these pieces to film her dombra videos.
Kapsamat has been playing across Kazakhstan for several years now, but she’d like to take her talents, instrument, and dress further. “I want to show the world our country and our instrument. My dream and goal is to film with the dombra in different countries,” she says. “When I am playing the dombra, I am proud and free.”
September 18, 2020 at 02:07AM
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How One Woman Is Sharing Kazakhstan’s National Instrument and Cultural Dress on Instagram - Vogue
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