In Kyrgyzstan, journalists are joining forces with “akyns” — improvisational singers, storytellers and poets who serve an important role in society by relaying the oral history of their communities — to reach wider audiences and generate tangible impacts.
Historically, akyns have served as “influencers” in Kyrgyzstan, explained Kyrgyz ethnographer, Saadatkan Muratova. “[They] brought awareness to the most pressing issues and their songs made people think, cry, laugh and act,” she said. Akyns are often educated on a wide range of issues, have significant life experience, and are highly perceptive.
“Aytysh” — musical competitions between akyns — which historically have been popular among both Kyrgyz and Kazakh people in Central Asia, are growing in popularity today, said Nurbek Talantbekov, director of the Kyrgyz National Manas Theater. “Shows sell out in a matter of weeks.”
Akyns’ active use of social media is helping them find new audiences. For example, the akyn, Aaly Tutkuchev, has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, while another akyn, Bayan Akmatov, has over 74,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.
A recent collaboration between the Kyrgyz investigative journalism channel, Temirov Live, and YouTube-based Kyrgyz creative group Ayt Ayt Dese is an example of how journalists are increasingly activating akyns’ traditional role in Kyrgyz society to reach audiences and spread the findings of their investigations.
“We wanted to find a better way to keep people informed. Then my wife said that in the past akyns played the journalists’ role. They were brave and outspoken about social problems, about the shortcomings of those in power,” said Bolot Temirov, the founder of Temirov Live.
“That's when we got the idea to bring their historical function back to life.”
Journalists and akyns working together
Temirov Live’s collaboration with Ayt Ayt Dese has akyns incorporate journalistic investigations from the outlet into their songs — in the style of traditional chants — and publish them on their channels. For example, akyns created a musical piece inspired by a Temirov Live investigation into Akylbek Zhaparov, the then-deputy chairman of the Kyrgyzstan Cabinet of Ministers, and his links to offshore havens in Malta.
Before the collaboration, most of Temirov Live’s audience resided in urban areas, said Temirov, but working with Ayt Ayt Dese helped journalists attract people from more rural zones.
The project also has drawn the attention of authorities, however. Earlier this year, 11 journalists from Temirov Live and members of Ayt Ayt Dese were detained. In October, Makhabat Tazhibek, was sentenced to six years in prison, and the akyn, Azamat Ishenbekov, was sentenced to five years on charges that the materials published by Temirov Live and Ayt Ayt Dese contained calls for protests and mass riots.
Temirov believes the arrests are linked to his team’s activities. “This is not a verdict for us, it is a verdict for the authorities themselves,” he said. “They took off their masks and they no longer have any moral, legal right to say that there is freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan.”
Tradition and innovation
Other media organizations have also teamed up with akyns.
Just less than three years ago, for instance, Internews in Kyrgyzstan launched its Bilim Aytysh program to train akyns on media literacy, mobile photography and videography, and social media marketing. The initiative, explained project coordinator, Maksuda Aytyeva, helped 21 akyns master new technology and promote their content. “But we’re not involved in the choice of topics for their performances,” she said. “Akynism and improvisation is a special gift, and the mission of akyns is to deliver a certain message to their contemporaries.”
At the request of akyns who took part in the project, Internews in Kyrgyzstan continued their training and held an additional “competition dedicated to knowledge" with themes around media literacy and gender-sensitive topics.
As the role of akyns as influencers grows rapidly, Nazik Chekirova, director of Internews in Kyrgyzstan, cautioned that the development also runs the risk of spreading disinformation. “Unfortunately, there are parties that try to use this huge resource to push their narratives,” she said.
This concern notwithstanding, the akyn, Bayan Akmatov, a participant in the Bilim Aytysh competition, said the mentorship he received from more experienced akyns helped him improve his own skills while learning about digital literacy.
“Before the project, I wasn’t aware of the dangers of disinformation,” Akmatov said. “The skills and knowledge I have gained help me evaluate information. In addition, many akyns have learned to better manage personal pages on social networks.”
Cover image: illustration by Asyl Osmonalieva.
This article was originally published on our Russian site. It was translated into English by Alexandra Tyan.
阅读的其他作品
