Here are five Kazakh bands working to bring traditional Kazakh instrumentation and musical styles into modern music. Roksonaki Seamless Kazakh Folk Rock Roksonaki is a Kazakh band that was formed in 2006. Its name means “lightning” in Kazakh, chosen to represent the band’s energetic and electrifying musical style. They are known for their unique fusion […]

Gauga, previously known as Oscar c7c5, is an up and coming Tatar band located in Kazan, Russia. Made up of lead vocalist Oscar Yunusov, guitarists Farhad Sibgatullin and Aidar Zakirov, keyboardist Ilnar Fatihov, and percussionists Albert Sadtrutdinov and Albert Sadtrutdinov, Oscar c7c5 emerged in recent years to revitalize the Tatar music scene. In May 2016, […]

Zarina Vildanova (Зарина Вильданова) is an up-and-coming contemporary Tatar singer. She is from Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, Russia. She sings in a range of styles—jazz, folk, and pop—and languages, but much of her music has a focus on Tatar sounds and culture. Vildanova has an extensive musical education. After getting a degree at Kazan State […]

Alqanat is a Tatar rock and metal band from Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, Russia. Their albums and website boast that they play “authentic Tatar rock music” (Tатарча рок); their uniqueness stems from their combining of their Tatar identity with very un-traditional music. While their music does have some folk elements, and they sing only […]

Kanykei (or Каныкей; her full name is Kanykei Alymbekova, Каныкей Алымбекова) is a popular contemporary Kyrgyz singer. She is known for singing in the ethno-rock genre—she uses some rock instrumentation, but her music is somehow deeper and fuller than much contemporary rock—and sings in a stunning, powerful voice in both Russian and, more often, Kyrgyz. […]