Shamshi Kaldayakov is one of the most famous composers of the country, the People’s Artist of Kazakhstan. The song “My Kazakhstan”, written in 1956, has become the anthem of Kazakhstan.

A future composer was born on August 15, 1930 in the Shaulder village of the Otyrar region of the South Kazakhstan region. His father was a farrier, but he played the dombyra beautifully and even, composed the poetry and music by himself. His mother was a great singer, so the young Shamshi absorbed his love for music from his mother’s milk. He started composing his first songs at an early age.

Shamshi did not immediately embark on the path of art. First of all, he graduated from the Kaplanbek Veterinary Technical School. Then, he served in the army in Sakhalin, after which, in 1955, he entered a music school in Tashkent. However, he left the school soon and decided to move to Alma-Ata for studying the composition at the conservatory.

At that time, Shamshi created a musical composition “My Kazakhstan”, which he dedicated to the virgin farmers who were developing the untouched Kazakh lands. A song became so popular that it acquired a second name among the people – “March of the Virgin Lands”.

After several years of studying at the conservatory, he was expelled, then reinstated, but never graduated. For unspecified reasons, he was unable to obtain a diploma, so, he remained among the amateur musicians for the rest of his life. Biographers of the composer write that Shamshi Kaldayakov had been haunted throughout his life by the envy of less talented colleagues. His lack of musical education was the reason why he was denied the membership in the Union of Composers three times.

His lyrical songs instilled in the hearts of listeners a tender feeling, a longing for the past and helped them to look for the future with hope.

“My songs are born out of love for the country and land, the Homeland”, - the composer said.

Shamshi’s teacher Vasily Velikanov called him a master of polyphonic multivoiced songs. His works “Shynarym” (My backbone), “Arys zhagasynda” (On the banks of the Arys) and others were written for two voices. He wrote more than 50 songs, each of which became a hit: “Kuanysh Waltz” (Waltz of Joy), “Qaidasyn” (Where are you?), “Bakyt Qushagynda” (In the arms of Happiness). In 1965, Kaldayakov became a Laureate of the National Youth Prize.

Composer with his family

Shamshi Kaldayakov’s wife, Jamila, shared her husband’s passion for music. Actually, he dedicated several songs to her, which later became the popular. The couple had the sons Mukhtar (became a conductor) and Shalkar (pianist).

Unfortunately, the recognition came to the composer too late. It occurred only in the last months of his life that he received the title of People’s Artist of Kazakhstan. Shamshi Kaldayakov, who left a rich musical legacy, passed away on February 29, 1992 in Almaty.

Kaldayakov’s songs served as the beginning of the Kazakh stage, which was largely formed under the influence of this outstanding composer. Many of his compositions have taken a firm place in the concert programs of such artists as Rosa Baglanova, Rishat Abdullin, Bibigul Tolegenova, Rashid Musabayev and Zeinep Koishibayeva, etc.

Monument of Shamshi Kaldayakov in Almaty

Since 1992, various song contests named after Shamshi Kaldayakov have been held in Kazakhstan. A regional philharmonic hall in Shymkent, the streets in Shymkent and Almaty, and the district music school in the Shaulder village are named after him. The monument to the great musician has been erected in front of the Shymkent Philharmonic.