Silk Road Stories: Manas and Music

The Manas is traditionally performed without musical accompaniment. The performer, called a manaschi, alternates between a rapid declamatory style for narrating factual information, and a strongly rhythmic recitative for depicting dialogue and direct quotation. Dramatic gestures and facial expressions are integral to the performance: the manaschi uses all means at his disposal to hold the attention of is audience (manaschis are always men).

The present performance, in which musical accompaniment embellishes storytelling, represents an innovation on tradition that is the result of a remarkable artistic collaboration. The collaboration was ignited in spring 2003, when Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble visited Kyrgyzstan. There they witnessed a brief performance by manaschi Rysbek Jumabaev and Kyrgyz musician Nurlanbek Nyshanov, who provided spare accompaniment on traditional Kyrgyz wind instruments - wooden flutes (choor and sybyzgy), ocarina (chopo choor) and metal jew's harp (temir komuz) - to Jumabaev's recitation. Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble musicians were enchanted. They invited Jumabaev and Nyshanov to participate in a residency program at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts in winter 2004. During that residency, members of the Silk Road Ensemble, in particular, shakuhachi player Kojiro Umezaki, pipa player Wu Man, and percussionist Shane Shanahan spontaneously joined Nyshanov's musical accompaniment. Meanwhile, English storyteller Ben Haggarty, another residency participant, applied his broad knowledge of Asian epic poetry to come up with an English-language version of the excerpts narrated by Jumabaev that is woven together with it in a bilingual oral tapestry. To provide a taste of the social and geographical context of the Manas, Kojiro Umezki, a skilled video artist as well as a musician, created a video installation. The video includes images of Rysbek Jumabaev at and around his home on Lake Issyq-Qul as well as of the great manaschi Sayakbay Karalaev (1894-1971), the man Rysbek Jumabaev regards as his teacher even though they met only once when Jumabaev was a young child. To round out the musical ensemble, Nurlanbek Nyshanov invited one of his students, Asylbek Nasirdinov, to play komuz, the short, long-necked lute that is a mainstay of Kyrgyz folk music traditions.

Photos From the Residency

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Calligraphic couplets are pasted on the side of homes during Chinese New Year, welcoming spring and good fortune. Credit: ©2004 Bethany Haggarty
Calligraphy stall in the market during Chinese New year. Credit: ©2004 Bethany Haggarty
Bing Hguc Leung displays his dough sculptures. Credit: ©2004 Jean Davidson
Museum visitors listen to musicians and storytellers in the traditional Chinese teahouse. Credit: ©2004 Bethany Haggarty
Entrance to late Qing Dynasty merchant home, Yin Yu Tang. Credit: ©2004 Bethany Haggarty
Montreal based jazz trio Beat in Fractions performing in museum atrium. Richard Le Gendre, bass; Alain Mercure, drums/percussion; Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi. Credit: ©2004 Bethany Haggarty
Jim Forrest and Wu Man playing in one of many jam sessions during the residency. Credit: ©2004 Jean Davidson
Jim Forrest and Wu Man playing in one of many jam sessions during the residency. Credit: © 2004 Jean Davidson
Jim Forrest and Wu Man playing in one of many jam sessions during the residency. Credit: © 2004 Jean Davidson
Jim Forrest and Wu Man playing in one of many jam sessions during the residency. Credit: © 2004 Jean Davidson
Jim Forrest and Wu Man playing in one of many jam sessions during the residency. Credit: © 2004 Jean Davidson