For Kazakhstan, we put together a slammin’ half-hour of tunes hailing from a few of the cities we passed through.  It’s by far our most diverse podcast.  There’s some opera, some metal, and a lot of hip-hop.  There are also a few fine samplings of Kazakhstan’s two most typical traditional instruments, the lute-like dombra, and the bowed kobyz.  The most striking track we found comes from Rin’go, the Kazakh boy band of the moment.  “Tolgau” was released early last year, but sounds a lot like late-period ‘N sync with throat singing and Khazakh Jew’s harp substituting for JT’s beat boxing.

1. Смагул Умбетбаев – Иманжусуптин Ены (-37:11)

Smagul Umbetbaev – Imanzhusuptyn Eni

2. Кот Балу-крайности (-33:43)

Kot Balu – Krayinosti

Part of a crew based in Almaty.

3. Rin’go – Толгау (-30:52)

Rin’go – Tolgau

The video is pretty great.  Ladies, tell me you’d take Joey Fatone over any of these dudes.

4. Эрик Курмангалиев – Ариозо Воина из кантаты “Москва” (-26:51)

Erik Kurmangaliev – The Warrior’s Arioso from the cantata, “Moscow”

Erik was born in Kulsary, a town we passed through in Western Kazakhstan.  He broke into the Soviet perestroika-era opera scene in the early 80’s and disquieted the authorities with his androgyny and unusual, often haunting voice.

5. Асылбек Ахатов & Эдиль Басыгараев – Короглы (-23:01)

Asylbek Akhatov & Edil Basgaraev – Korogly

Asylbek is a dombra virtuoso from Atyrau, the major city in Western Kazakhstan.

6. Doubleface – Rest (-21:15)

Also from Atyrau.

7. Slowpaw Da Beat Maker – R & B (-20:16)

And again, from Atyrau.

8. Саян Акмолда – Ажырауктын ащы куй (-18:51)

Saian Aqmolda – Ajrauqtin Ashi Kui

9. ДЖАзовый – Вспомнить Азию (-15:49)

Djazhovyi – Vspomnity Azhiyu

From Almaty.

10. Мейрамбек Беспаев – Авпзвах (-12:51)

Meyirambek Bespaev – Avpzhvakh

11. Medas – Это Как Игра (-5:44)

Medas – Eta Kak Igra

This crew is from Semey, in Northeastern Kazakhstan.

Watch the boyz take Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” beat and turn it into a love song to Semey.  Nestled among the shots of Kazakh club girls’ rear ends are some nice shots of the city.