Yuliana Krivoshapkina
Igor Koshkendey
Bakyt Shatenov
Ryspai Isakov
Asia M
Asia M is a collaborative project from Central Asia that was created to preserve Asian culture and bring it to audiences abroad. The group plays traditional instruments to reproduce the ancient music of nomadic steppe tribes and Northern hunters, and create their own modern improvisations. Their repertoire is rich in various styles of throat singing. The group was founded in October 2016 and strives to elevate folk traditions by bringing together the most talented musicians of Tuva, Yakutia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Yuliana Krivoshapkina
Yuliana’s music draws on the powers of Nature and the wisdom and traditions of the Yakut people to portray the timeless relationship between Man and the Universe.
Yulianna is a virtuoso in the art of the khomus, the national instrument of the Sakha. It functions much like a Jew’s harp, but differs in several respects. A conventional Jew’s harp is limited in range, volume, and pitch. The khomus is loud and strikingly expansive in range. Yuliana’s skill allows her to play sounds across about three octaves. She was the winner of the Ethnic Sound category in the Discovery International Music Pop Festival in Varna, Bulgaria. Yulianna has performed in Korea, France, Germany, Belgium, USA, Japan, China, Thailand, Holland, Norway, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Turkmenistan.
Igor Koshkendey
Igor is a distinguished throat singer from the Republic of Tuva. He is skilled in six styles of throat singing, and the only throat singer to master the unique style of Vladimir Oidupaa. He is the three time champion of the International Competition of Throat Singing.
Igor tours around the world with the renowned ensemble Chirgilchin, and he has collaborated with Laurie Anderson and other international musicians. Igor has performed in Canada, France, Germany, Belgium, USA, China, Holland, Norway, Italy, Australia, India, and Tatarstan.
Bakyt Shatenov
Bakyt, the “Krgyz nightingale” is a professional folk singer and instrumentalist who made his debut in 1984. He plays the traditional instruments komuz, kyl-kyak, temir-ooz komuz, and jigach-ooz komuz. He has toured in the US, Japan, Turkey, Germany, France, Italy, Malaysia, Canada, and England. In addition to winning several local and international contests, he holds the Diploma of Honor from the Ministry of Culture of Kyrgyzstan. He is the lead singer of the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic and the folk theater Ordo Sakhna, and in 2008 was awarded the prestigious title Honored Singer of the Kyrgyz Republic.
As a member of Ordo Sakhna, Bakyt has performed in Korea, France, Germany, USA, China,Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Turkmenistan.
Ryspai Isakov
Ryspai is Kyrgyzstan’s leading performer of the Manas epic, a piece that is over half a million lines long. In October 2005, he was the Grand Prix winner in the world’s foremost Manas competition, held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital. When he isn’t performing, Ryspai directs the Manas Muras Fund, a non-profit organization that aims to preserve the Manas epic. He is considered an expert in the academic study of Manas and has written two books on the subject. Ryspai has performed in Korea, France, Germany, USA, China, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Turkmenistan.