Love is in the air: Kazakhstani songs about love

Ah, February — the month of flowers, boxes of chocolate and the most romantic songs. That’s why in this post I decided to mix up my usual format and compile a playlist with some of my favorite love songs by Kazakhstani performers.

The list starts with more traditional songs that are known to many older generations. I especially love the instrumental version of a famous Kazakh song “Kozimnin Karasi” based on the poem of a prominent Kazakh poet Abay Kunanbayev. While the song is more of a remix, it sounds incredible and carries the spirit of Kazakh culture.

When we move to JCS and A’Studio, that’s when we get to love songs of the late 1990s and early 2000s. It’s the most nostalgic period for me and many Kazakhstanis because some of the most popular singers and bands appeared at that time.

I kind of decided to hang in the 2000s for a while until we then move to more contemporary songs by Moldanazar and M’Dee. Some might say that those are not the songs that define Valentine’s Day in Kazakhstan but, hey, that’s my blog, so I make the choices.

Oh, and I must mention that Kazakhstan doesn’t celebrate the 14th of February. We have our own Valentine’s Day on April 15th — the day of Bayan Sulu and Kozy Korpesh, characters of a Kazakh legend about love.

So, you, my reader, can either enjoy this cute playlist I made or just say what any other Kazakh might say today — “Бұл қазақтың мейрамы емес!” (“That’s not a Kazakh holiday!”).