Raushan Orazbaeva At once honoring and challenging the established musical traditions of her homeland, Orazbaeva puts a spin on age-old Kazakh customs. Her instrument is the kyl-kobyz (a cello-like structure, resembling an upright, two-springed spoon). Until the last century, it was played only by men—and customarily as part of shamanistic and curative rituals. Communism abolished such ceremonies, and the instrument became a cello-alternative in civic folk orchestras. Orazbaeva resurrects the kyl-kobyz as a medium for both art and culture with lush, emotive tones and ethereal, haunting melodies that evoke Kazakh music’s magical roots.