Abstract
The second half of the 20th century in Kazakhstan was characterized by the emergence of a large quantity of acoustic music, and then of electronic music based on folk musical material. The emergence of such a reviviscence occurred in two staging points depending on the political situation and the development of the musical culture. The methodological foundation of the research was provided by theorems expounded in the works of scholars in Kazakhstan and in other countries. Folkloristic-ethnographic groups and groups of electronic revival or “post-folklore” are examined on the basis of the available material. Analysis is also made of a new spire in the development of musical industry in the new millennium, when prospective new musicians who changed the customary format of Kazakh music appeared on the scene. In the present day the musical landscape and the alternative soundscape of contemporary Kazakhstan incudes diverse localized versions of world music: rhythmic electronic dance sounds, hard rock, romantic and soft Indie, harsh rap, experimental rock and other genres. In the practice of performance of ethnic rock contemporary musicians use the electric version of the traditional instrument, – namely, the electro-dombyra. The language of performance varies among musicians – from Kazakh to Russian and English. Such a development of mass musical culture may lead to the emergence of new paths of assertion of national identification. Keywords: traditional music, folk revival, folk instruments, Kazakh music, folklore, post-folklore.