“Asyl Mura” Humanitarian Project Presents “Akhmet Zhubanov” Audioalbum

Almaty, December 20, 2006

Presentation of the jubilee two-disc audio CD-album has taken place at the State Archives of the Republic Kazakhstan. It assembled a unique archival recordings of musical pieces by the outstanding Kazakh composer and public figure Akhmet Zhubanov whose 100th anniversary is celebrated this year.
Presentation of the Akhmet Zhubanov’s CD-album is another step of the “Asyl Mura” humanitarian non-commercial project, which for already a number of years is being carried out by the State Archives of Film and Photo Documents and Sound Recordings of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic Kazakhstan, Coca-Cola and the “UMS Agency” Public Fund.

Release of such CDs is a time-taking and responsible work. Sound recordings are stored in the Archives on the shabby magnetic tapes having a limited worklife. There is a constant danger that the tapes will be demagnetized or crumbled because of time and the unique recordings can be irrevocably lost.
From now on, such fate does not threaten Akhmet Zhubanov's musical archives. Due to the “Asyl Mura” project, the archival recordings with his works have been carefully selected, restored and recorded on modern digital carriers. The specialists of the “Asyl Mura” humanitarian non-commercial project have worked over the disc for about one year. And now we have an opportunity to enjoy the ingenious works created by the coryphaeus of the Kazakh musical culture Akhmet Zhubanov, as well as to listen to his live voice.

One can hardly name a sphere of musical culture of the 20th century in which Akhmet Zhubanov did not bring in a weighty and significant contribution, thus becoming a determining figure generating new ideas. Akhmet Zhubanov stood was a trail blazer of professional musical education, musical folklore science and musicology and became one of the founders of the composer school in Kazakhstan and a founder of a brand new form of playing music in Kazakh culture – the orchestra of the Kazakh folk musical instruments. Nowadays, it is the famous State Academic Orchestra of Folk Musical Instruments named after Kurmangazy. Akhmet Zhubanov was a conductor and a teacher-lecturer, the author of a number of remarkable pieces of music, the arranger of works of different musical genres, the collector and note script writer of folk songs and kyis (instrumental music). The legendary data on national composers collected by him, laid the basis of his numerous articles, books and performances. Akhmet Zhubanov's activity in Kazakh culture was really universal and comprehensive, work – selfless and energy – inexhaustible.

On April 29, 2006, it was 100th anniversary of the Akhmet Zhubanov’s birthday. His jubilee, which has entered the UNESCO’s Calendar of Memorial Dates, recently has been widely celebrated in the headquarters of this organization in Paris. The CD-album was presented by Kazakhstani official delegation in Paris to Deputy Director–General of UNESCO Mr. Marcio Barbosa.

20.12.2006

Project's coordinator -UMS agency
Tel.: +7 3272 73 02 43
e-mail: ums@asylmura.kz