Smagul Umbetbaev (Russian: Смагул Умбетбаев; born in 1949) comes from Central Kazakhstan and belongs to the Tama tribe. He is considered to be the greatest living Kazakh kobyz player. He started playing the kobyz at the age of 14 following a dream in which his vocation appeared to him. After making his first kobyz himself, he listened to Zhappas Kalambaev and Daulet Myktybaev on the radio and then spent only two years at the national conservatory.
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Smagul Umbetbaev (Russian: Смагул Умбетбаев; born in 1949) comes from Central Kazakhstan and belongs to the Tama tribe. He is considered to be the greatest living Kazakh kobyz player. He started playing the kobyz at the age of 14 following a dream in which his vocation appeared to him. After making his first kobyz himself, he listened to Zhappas Kalambaev and Daulet Myktybaev on the radio and then spent only two years at the national conservatory. His musical talent and sensitivity were immediately noticed. While following in the stylistic footsteps of Daulet Myktybaev, who came from his native region, Smagul developed his own particular style, which is heard in his own compositions and in his playing of old küy, turning these into new versions. Smagul has a supreme mastery of the vocal techniques of the Arka school which, along with his instrumental skills, has allowed him to revive the great tradition of singing accompanied with the kobyz. He was also a shaman for some time and performed the divination ritual using his kobyz. He is also a renowned instrument maker.
