A total of 13,000 dombyras in 20 years. Master craftsman Almas Mustafa
has dedicated himself to making traditional Kazakh musical instruments.
According to him, crafting a dombyra with a rich, resonant sound requires not
only skill and patience, but also soul. Creating a single instrument can take
months, sometimes even years. The process is intricate: the body must be
carved, sanded, glued, and then strung. For example, the dombyra he is
currently working on has been in progress for five years. This unique piece is
set to be adorned with mammoth bone along the edges - material brought in from
Yakutia.
«They are 40,000 years old. I’m going to attach them right here - no one
has ever done this with mammoth bone before.»
There are four types of dombyra in Kazakhstan, each distinguished by its
shape.
«This drop-shaped dombyra is played in Western Kazakhstan. And this one, a 48-size classic dombyra, is the kind Akhmet Zhubanov used to play. This dombyra is spoon-shaped and made from juniper. Can you smell the aroma?»,- shared dombyra craftsman Almas Mustafa.
The craftsman’s collection includes pieces that immediately catch the eye. For example, this dombyra is Almas’s hundredth - he made it nearly 20 years ago. The musical instrument features embossed and intricately carved details. Its sound captivates - it sings in harmony with the steppe, says the master. He admits that the secret of his craftsmanship lies in feeling the material with his heart when creating each instrument. Sometimes the wood is silent, other times, it resonates instantly. He keeps such special pieces for years. Looking ahead, Almas Mustafa plans to open a museum of national instruments.
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