CONNECTION OF EPOCHS
Ancient Circassian settlement Khabez in Karachai-Cir
kassia received with sincere joy participants of the First
Inter-Republican festival of ancient Adyg song.
67 performers from Shapsug (now Lazorevsky) district of Krasnodar
region, Kabardin-Balkaria, Adygeia and Karachai-Sircassia appeared on the
stage in the frame of competitive program of the Festival. Among them there
were well-known, honoured singers and young ones who only percieved
skills of singing, beauty and spiritual wealth of people“s song.
Initiators and organizers of the Festival were Adyge Khase of Khabez,
International Circassian Association. Song was selected as a single genre
of the first Adyg folklore festival because it is the first poetic experience
of mankind and convincing testimony of artistic potential of a language.
As is known, the principal dialects of Abkhaz-Adyg group formed
in I millennium B.C. The Nart epos - the main literary monument of Abkhazes
and Adygs - is three thousand years old.
Having absorbed the whole experience of spiritual development of
the past centuries these languages reached our days and gave birth to the
richest verbal folk arts and written literature.
Consequencies of Russian-Caucasus war of XIX century - genocide
and exile of Adygs and Abaza from their historical territories - interrupted
process of their cultural development. After 130 years of existence in
the condition of «dispersed nation» on the threshold of III millennium
our peoples comprehend a danger of loosing their culture and language.
It is possible to avert this danger only if efforts of all Adygs
and Abaza irrespective of countries of their residence are united and if
they develop united spiritual space during the next decade overcoming frontiers
and distances.
Festival of ancient Adyg song in Khabez is a step in the way to
spiritual revival and unity.
...The first Inter-Republican festival of ancient Adyg song gave
to its spectators and participants many beautiful moments. The most thrilling
of them was performance of the youngest performer, singer from Kabardin-Balkaria
Aslan Bisho. He sang an ancient song about Nart Badynokue whose age amounts
to three thosand years. A hope for restoration of spiritual connection
of epochs sounded in it.
Zarema K“arden
Khabez
CONTENTS