A resident of the village of Kyzyl-Bulak in the Kadamjay district, Begali Talipov has been engaged in this craft [making komuzs] since 2010.
Begali is the son of the renowned master Orozali Talipov. Today, he is one of the young continuators of the family business, preserving the traditions and secrets of his father.
According to the master, the main material for making a quality komuz is apricot wood. "There are many old apricot orchards in Batken, so we choose trees that are 30–35 years old for our work. The older and more mature the tree, the more melodic and resonant the voice of the instrument will be," says Begali.
The masters also use walnut, willow, or spruce, but connoisseurs assert that the sound of the apricot komuz is louder, purer, and more pleasant.
The process of making the instrument goes through several mandatory stages:
- preparation – a suitable tree is selected, from which a board 120–130 cm long is cut with a slight margin.
- processing – the blank is processed on a special machine.
- boiling and drying – the wood is boiled. This is done to remove moisture and resins (gluten) from the wood. After such treatment, the material does not crack, dries more easily, and becomes suitable for fine work.
- assembly – gradually, step by step, the master shapes the wood into the form of a classic komuz.
In Begali Talipov's opinion, the main advantage of Batken masters is access to massive trunks of old trees. Thanks to this, the komuz is made as a solid piece, without any glued parts. Even capital craftsmen often turn to Begali with requests to send them solid blanks of Batken apricot. "Orders come to us from all corners of the country — from Bishkek to Osh, as well as from abroad. In specialized stores of national instruments in large cities, 60–70% of komuzs are the fruits of our labor. Among our clients are many famous singers and performers," the master shares.
Since all of Begali's instruments fall into the professional category, their basic characteristics are similar, while the price varies depending on the complexity of the decoration.
- standard professional komuz – from 7,000 to 8,000 soms.
- exclusive options (with carvings and ornaments) – up to 15,000 soms.
As Talipov explained, apricot komuzs are fundamentally not covered with varnish. The wood has a natural reddish hue, which, after treatment with special oil and polishing, acquires a noble shine and special beauty.
