Renowned Kazakh musician Layla Tazhibayeva is reshaping the future of classical music in her country through her mastery of the kobyz, or Kazakh violin.
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Layla Tazhibayeva is a renowned Kazakh musician known for pushing the boundaries of traditional sound. Her instrument is the kobyz—often called the Kazakh violin.
The kobyz comes in two main variations: The academic kobyz resembles a violin, while the kyl-kobyz is an ancient, traditional version carved from a single piece of wood, with just two horsehair strings and a horsehair bow. Layla plays both masterfully.
She was also the first musician in Kazakhstan to commission and perform on an electric kobyz, creating a bold fusion of Kazakh traditional music with Celtic melodies, rock, and jazz.
A laureate of the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood, she now dreams of collaborating with Hans Zimmer and continues to share the kobyz's healing, soulful sound with the world.
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