Kobyz

The kobyz body is carved from a single piece of wood with a leather-covered lower part; the strings and bow hair are horsehair. Its sound is low, husky and mysterious, as if imitating the wind, a wolf or a human moan.

In Kazakh tradition the kobyz was sacred: shamans used it to "heal" the sick and speak with spirits. Legend says the wise Korkyt Ata invented it while fleeing death, and his "Korkyt kuys" are still played.

In the Soviet era the instrument was redesigned and a four-string orchestral version appeared. Today the kobyz is heard in both traditional and modern music, from film scores to ethno-rock.