Lost Kazakh Folk Music Rediscovered After a Century of Silence

A German ethnographer born in 1867 made some of the earliest recordings of Kazakh folk music—long before the tradition gained wider recognition. Richard Karutz, originally trained as a doctor, turned his focus to documenting the lives and music of nomadic peoples in Central Asia. His work from over a century ago remains a vital resource for understanding the region’s cultural heritage. Karutz was born on November 2, 1867, in Stralsund and initially worked as an ear, nose, and throat specialist. By the late 19th century, however, his interests shifted to ethnography. His travels took him to present-day Kazakhstan, where he studied the daily lives, traditions, and music of nomadic communities.

In 1903, he recorded ritual and folk songs in Mangystau and Turkestan. Using wax cylinders, he captured performances by Kazakh singers, creating what are now recognised as the first documented examples of Kazakh folk music. These recordings predated even the famous performances of Ämre Qashaubayev in Paris.

The Berlin Phonogram Archive, founded in 1900 by Karl Stumpf, became the home for Karutz’s 16 wax cylinders. Labelled 'Turkestan, Collection of Richard Karutz,' they represent the earliest known recordings of Kazakh music. His 1911 book, Among Kyrgyz and Turkmens, further detailed the structure of auls (villages), yurts, and other aspects of traditional life.

Over a hundred years later, Karutz’s work was rediscovered. In 2015, Askar Alimzhanov, then director of the Kazakh branch of the Mir television network, led an expedition to recopy and preserve the recordings. Since then, scholars and musicians have continued to study and revive his findings. Karutz’s recordings and writings remain a cornerstone of ethnographic research. They provide a rare window into the musical and cultural traditions of early 20th-century Kazakhstan. Today, his contributions are still republished and performed, proving their lasting importance.