Ulytau (Kaz. Ulytau) is a unique musical group from Kazakhstan, performing instrumental music in the style of Kazakh ethno-rock. The group combines the sound of dombra, violin and electric guitar, creating a unique sound that combines traditional Kazakh music with elements of rock and classics.
The group includes: solo guitar – Maxim Kichigin, dombra – Rustem Baekeyev, violin – Assel Isaeva, keyboards – Zhanbolat Adilov, bass-
guitar – Serik Sansyzbaev, drums – Igor Javad-Zade.
The name of the group comes from the Ulytau mountain range (Kazakhstan)Great Mountain), located in the Karaganda region. The idea of creating the group belongs to the famous Kazakh producer, and in 2001 the instrumental project “Doskrip” (from the words dombra and violin). Its original composition included dombra player Batyrzhan and a violinist Nailya. Later, the line-up was updated, and guitarist Maxim Kichigin joined the project, which marked the beginning of a new musical direction.
The first big one The group's achievement was participation in the World Championship of Musical Performers in Hollywood (USA) in 2001. The group won the Grand Prix and the Gold Medal, which became recognition of their unique sound in the international arena. Ulytau also became laureates of the Independent Award "Tarlan" and received Prize of the Youth Union of Kazakhstan.
In 2006 the debut album “Zhumyr Kylysh” was released (Two Warriors), recorded in Moscow and mixed in Los Angeles at the studio Paramaunt Records under the direction of sound producer Tim Palmer. The album included 10 compositions based on the works of Kurmangazy, Makhambet, Tlendiev, Kazangap, as well as world classics music – Vivaldi and Mozart.
In 2009 after a successful performance at a rock festival in Romania the group Manowar invited Ulytau on a joint tour of Europe. The same year they performed as an opening act before the Manowar concert in Moscow. The music of Ulytau combines national Kazakh traditions and modern sounds, making ethno-rock accessible to a wide audience. They popularize Kazakh music on the world stage, creating unique interpretations of traditional kuis. The group continues to perform at international festivals, inspiring a new generation of musicians.
Today Ulytau is a symbol of Kazakh ethno-rock, representing the cultural heritage of Kazakhstan at the world level.