Doolot Sydykov Explained

Doolot Sydykov (born 1983), is a manaschi (a reciter of the Kyrgyz epic of Epic of Manas).

In November 2020, he recited the epic continuously in Ala-Too Square in Bishkek for a record 14 hours and 27 minutes.^[1] In September 2021, he recited the epic for 111 hours over a five day period in Moscow.^[2]

His earlier attempts to promote the epic included touring across Kyrgyzstan in 2012 performing with Talantaaly Bakchiev,^[3] making audiovisual recordings of his performances depicting the funeral feast for Kokotoi Khan^[4] and episodes from Semetey,^[5] and performing with Solenye Oreshki, a jazz band.^[6]

While popularising the epic, he has also spoken out against the commercialization of the epic (such as branding alcohol with the names of the epic's heroes).^[7]

Transcriptions of three audiovisual recordings,^[8] made at the American University of Central Asia, narrating the birth of the titular character, Manas, available online,^{[9] [10]} have been studied to reveal his in-performance composition methods.^[11]

In 2022, he left Kyrgyzstan owing to a political dispute regarding the Manas Ayyly (Museum).^[12]

Notes and References

1. Web site: New record: Manaschi recited epic continuously for 14 hours 27 minutes . 24.kg . 13 November 2020.
2. Web site: Калыков . Мундузбек . Манасчы Доолот Сыдыков установил рекорд — он читал эпос "Манас" пять суток . kloop.kg . Russian . 6 September 2021.
3. Book: van der Heide . Nienke . Spirited performance: the Manas epic and society in Kyrgyzstan . 2015 . EHV Academicpress . Bremen . 169.
4. Book: Wintermann . Jutta . Die Figur des Almambet im kirgisischen Manas-Epos : eine historisch-kritische Studie . 2020 . Wiesbaden . 978-3-447-11400-4 . 289.
5. Web site: List of Semetei Episodes and Chanters . Aigine Cultural Research Center.
6. Book: Plumtree . James . Thomson . S. C. . Medieval Stories and Storytelling: Multimedia and Multi-Temporal Perspectives . 2021 . Brepols . Turnhout . 241 . A Telling Tradition: Preliminary Comments on the Epic of Manas, 1856–2018.
7. PhD . Bruley . Julien . 2019 . L'épopée de Manas: étude historique, patrimoniale et ethnographique . 280–281 . Université de Lille.
8. Book: AKYN изилдөө тобу . «Манастын төрөлүшү» эпизоду түрдүү варианттарда . 2024 . Ордо . Бишкек . 978-9967-9509-8-6 .
9. Web site: American University of Central Asia - AUCA - Doolot Sydykov . auca.kg . en.
10. Web site: Episodes from the 'Manas' Epos . OSA Archivum.
11. Plumtree . James . Jeenbekova . Alymkan . Replicating the Birth of Manas: Composition Methods of Doolot Sydykov and Talantaaly Bakchiev . Известия Национальной академии наук Кыргызской Республики . January 2020 . 3 . 175–187 .
12. News: Алмас . Мирайым . Манасчы Доолот Сыдыков вместе с семьей покинул страну после споров о «Манас айылы» . KLOOP.KG - Новости Кыргызстана . 5 May 2022 . ru-RU.