Ordo Sakhna
The folk ethnographic theater “Ordo Sakhna” was founded in 1999, bringing together a group of
award-winning musicians, under the direction of filmmaker Shamil Djaparov.
The group strives to retain, develop, and popularize Kyrgyz folk heritage around the
world. Its high level of authenticity stems a deep study of the spiritual traditions of the Kyrgyz people. Learning from the bearers of folk traditions, the artists of the theater have been able to recreate the ancient dances “Bakshy–Biy” and “Shyrdak–Biy,” which were all but forgotten until recently.
“Ordo Sakhna” has gathered an exclusive collection of ancient traditional melodies and dastans
(short epos), which came to us through centuries of generations. Through careful searching and
experiments the musicians adapted the ancient heritage to modern society.
Each performance demonstrates a careful understanding of every aspect of the songs and dances: detailed recreations of
traditional costumes, mannerisms of motion and symbolism of gestures. In their meticulous approach, the group has succeeded in recreating a realistic and honest ethnographic picture of Kyrgyz culture.
Since 1999 the Theater has recorded three albums: The Music of the Legends in 2000, Song of
Nomad in 2001, and The Flame Horses in 2007. The theater's repertoire is designed to appeal to a wide
audience and the music ranges from the ancient melodies (kuu) to folk–jazz.
Press
“The group uses over ten different instruments, all with a very distinct sound...But somehow they
manage to blend sounds until one can no longer tell them apart.” -Le Monde, Paris, France
“Kyrgyz music is a combination of musical sounds and storytelling. One can’t help but feel a
certain love and respect for Kyrgyz culture after witnessing an Ordo Sakhna presentation.” -Le
Courrier, Geneva, Switzerland
“The songs of Ordo Sakhna are comforting in that such ancient cultures still exist and thrive
today...” -Le Temps, Geneva, Switzerland
“Ordo Sakhna uses an incredible mix of dance, music, and costumes to show ancient stories of
Kyrgyz folklore...The performance was mesmerizing.” -Asahi Shimbun, Nagoya, Japan
“Kyrgyzstan has been somewhat of a mystery up until recently. Ordo Sakhna’s rich mosaic of
visuals and sounds is opening our eyes...” -Korea Times, Seoul, South Korea
Past performances
2002 Alma–ata, Kazakhstan
2002 Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey
2003 Festival “VISTA 360º” (Wyoming, USA)
2004 Festival “Secret Music” (Dijon, France)
2004 Festival “SORI” (South Korea)
2005 Festival “Dialogue of Cultures” by UNESCO (Paris, France)
2005 ”Expo 2005” (Nagoya, Japan)
2005 ”Days of Kyrgyz Culture” (Moscow, Russia)
2008 ”Days of Kyrgyz Culture” (Geneve, Davos)
2008 Ankara, Turkey
2009 Berlin, Germany