Currently, Janishbek is the author of over 100 melodies, and about 50 of his songs have gained wide popularity among the people, becoming part of the national repertoire. In 1971, he enrolled in the Tokmok Cultural and Educational College, which he successfully graduated from in 1974.
According to the composer, the creation of a melody always depends on the content of the text. He explains that for songs with short lines, he writes light, cheerful melodies, while for longer ones, he creates more serious and restrained tunes. “The melody should support the text. If the words lack depth of feelings such as pain, love, or longing, then a true melody will not emerge,” he notes.
The Story of the Song “Kimibizde”
One of his most famous works is the song “Kimibizde,” written to the verses of poet Dooronbek Sadyrbaev. The process of creating the melody took almost a year and was accompanied by deep emotions. “This song reflects the inner suffering of the poet, his heartfelt appeal to his wife. For example, in the lines:
“While my feelings have not yet been covered by ice (Könguldörüm muz tör ördöp bara elekete)
While my tears have not yet spilled into a lake (Köz jashtarım köl shal bolup aga elekete)
My light, let my feelings flow like water, (Jarky nim suu koe kör sezimderge)
While their roots have not completely dried up…” (Tamırı takır kurğap kala elekete
deep psychology is captured, and the melody had to express this sorrow,” recalls Janishbek.
The composer emphasizes that the elongated vocal runs in the song are not just a decorative element, but a musical image of the author's inner fear, characteristic of the Kyrgyz mentality, where pain is experienced deeply within. In other words, the prolonged “eh iyiy,” “akh iy-iy-iy” are the cries of Dooronbek. The song is filled with tragedy.
Before writing the melody for another of Dooronbek's songs, “Kusalik,” Janishbek called the author and asked for permission to change the word “Kusalik” to a line from the last verse “Kıyaldı birge jürelyk,” receiving consent. This was due to the fact that the song “Kusalik” by A. Kerimbaev was already widely known.
However, Dooronbek never heard the melody to his verses. According to the composer, when the People's Artist came to Kara-Kul and stayed at a hotel, he could not meet with him due to the large number of people wanting to see him.
“Zheneme” — A Song Born from a Joke
The song “Zheneme,” written in 1987, emerged thanks to the joking comments of daughters-in-law from the Aksy district, who asked the composer to create a dedication to them. The words and melody belong to Janishbek.
“When I returned from a concert to my native village of Malgaldy, the daughters-in-law jokingly said: ‘Why haven’t you written about us? You write for the girls from Kara-Kul, but not for the Aksy ones?’ Inspired, I began to hum the lines:
“The name of my native land is Malgaldy, (Jerimdin aty Malgaldy)
There’s no strength left to reach it. (Jetüüge darmann kalbady)
Among all the zhenes (Zhenelerdiñ ichinen)
How is my Zhezmonchok zhenе?” (Zhezmonchok zhenem amanby?)
They suggested continuing the song, and already back in Kara-Kul, sitting by the rivers Kara-Suu and Kayındy, I finished the text, and the melody came instantly,” he recounts.
Interestingly, this song was later translated into English and performed with an orchestra.
A Song About Kara-Kul
The work about Kara-Kul was created during the Soviet era by social order when the composer worked at the “Energetik” House of Culture. “The first secretary of the city invited me to write a song about Kara-Kul. I quickly composed the first verse, but then stopped. Acquaintances advised me to show the text to a teacher named Dosov. He praised my verse and suggested adding images of the Toktogul HPP, the Naryn River, and telling about the people who age here. Following his advice, I completed the song in three days,” he recalls.
This composition was performed at a large event of the Naryn hydroelectric construction and shown on the Moscow television program “Vremya.”
“Ömür Dayra” — From Coincidence to Classic
This song is considered one of the most popular among the people, its text belongs to poet Karybek Begimkulov. “The song was born during a trip to Bishkek. One night I stayed at the home of Shamsybek Ötöböev. At night, his family returned from Bazar-Korgon and asked me to sing. During the process, one of the guests, a sister named Kurmanjan, asked me to write music for her friend's poem. I put the paper in my pocket. Later, while at the “Pishpek” hotel with Narynbek Moldobaev, we started humming, and the melody was born by itself,” the composer shares.
The next day, Dinara Akulova and Mergen Turgan came asking for new songs. I remembered the melody from yesterday, and thanks to the komuz, I was able to restore it. Dinara really liked the song, and she immediately asked for permission to perform it with the komuz and was the first to present it to the people,” he notes.
Later, Kochkorov met with Karybek Begimkulov, who thanked him and said that he truly writes excellent songs.
About Time and Music
Janishbek Kochkorov notes that over time, listeners' preferences change. Many old melodies are now being updated in modern arrangements to satisfy contemporary audiences. Nevertheless, despite changes in form, the inner meaning and depth of music must remain unchanged. “Music is updated according to the times, but the novelty of words and the soul of the melody must be preserved,” he concludes.
