Kashaubayev A. during a tour in Paris (third from left)
G. Paris, 1925
Amre Kashaubayev is the first Kazakh singer who had an opportunity to perform the concerts abroad: in 1925, he performed in Paris, and in 1927, he gave the performance in Frankfurt am Main.
Amre was born in 1888 in the Abraly district of the Semei region. Since an early age, having become the breadwinner of the family, he had worked as a coachman and gateman. As the first professional test of himself as a singer, he publicly performed at the Koyandy Fair, which was a kind of festival of Kazakh oral creativity. After listening to famous singers Gabbas Aitbayev, Kali Baizhanov, and getting acquainted with composer Jayau Musa, Amre realized the necessity to improve his skills. He enriched his repertoire and returned to Semey as a professional singer. The inspired art of Amre Kashaubayev became known throughout the country. A.V. Lunacharsky, then the People’s Commissar of Education of the RSFSR, personally invited Amre to participate in ethnographic concerts at the World Exhibition in Paris. Also, Amre took an active part in the organization of the first Kazakh professional theater. In Mukhtar Auezov’s stage play “Yenlik-Kebek”, he played a role of the shepherd Zhanal. In April 1927, Amre gave a concert performance in Moscow, and in July of the same year – in Frankfurt am Main.
In 1933, a music studio was opened on the basis of the drama theater in Almaty, where Amre was one of the first to sign up. During these years, the singer was criticized for not performing the modern songs. Amre was very hard-pressed by criticism of himself, it took away his strength. In the autumn of 1934, Amre became seriously ill and passed away after a short illness.
Extremely important in Kashaubayev’s repertoire were the songs "Zhalgyz arsha" ("Lonely Juniper"), "Agashayak" ("Wooden Leg"), "Bal Hadisha" ("Beautiful Hadisha"), "Dudarai" and others. Having met Amre, the famous ethnographer A.V.Zataevich was captivated by the singer's talent and promoted his art in every possible way both in our country and abroad. An audience was delighted not only by Amre’s excellent, naturally choreographed voice, but also by the spontaneity of the performance and the inner drama combined with the unique coloring of the timbre.
Zataevich wrote about Amre Kashaubayev's vocal talent in a note to the collection "500 Kazakh songs and kuiys": "Amre Kashaubayev, an outstanding singer from Karkaraly, who had been a member of the Kazakh State Theater group since the spring of 1925, has a beautiful, strong and juicy voice with a wide range of breathing. To characterize him as a singer and musician, it is best to compare him with two other outstanding Karkaraly singers, the “poet” Gabbas Aitpayev and the “domestic offender” Kali Baizhanov. In this case, Kashaubayev would have taken the first place between both of them, since his repertoire fluctuates between lyrical and everyday numbers, making a number of outstanding performances in both characters, although perhaps not reaching the brightness and strength of impression that are characteristic of these two singers, who have not been separated for longer than him with the steppe (Kashaubayev had lived longer and continues to live extensively in the cities). Purely vocally, Kashaubayev surpasses both in the brightness of his data. And, it is a pity that the separation from the steppe and the temptations of the city put this good singer under temptation and in danger of replacing a lively, direct feeling and captivating freshness and naivety of creativity with a cold and indifferent standard of performance. It is necessary to wish and hope that the singer who has tasted abroad will come out of this ordeal with honor for himself and with benefit for the Kazakh singing art, of which he is a “prominent representative”.
Amre Kashaubayev’s rare singing gift did not fade away until the end of his days. Amre often performed the Kazakh folk songs on the radio, delighting listeners with the beauty and depth of his singing, and his performances in the theater were no less interesting. He amazed his contemporaries with the versatility of his talent.
