10.58242/millifolklor.1074386

As a result of the Russian domination that began during the Tsarist era; acquaintance with Russian culture, the transformation of Kazakh into a written language, the emergence of institutions that provide education in the mother tongue can be considered the beginning of a new era for Kazakhs. The acceleration of the transition to settled life by the state and the spread of formal education in the Soviet period reveal important changes both on Kazakh language and Kazakh culture. This process not only had an impact on the oral tradition, but also drove Kazakh language out of the public sphere and daily life in some large settlements. In the post-Soviet period, following the process of opening up to the world, Western culture also had an impact on Kazakh tradi-tions and customs. This process is still ongoing. Despite these processes that left and continues to leave deep traces on Kazakh culture, the mastery of words unique to the strong Kazakh oral tradition shows itself in differ-ent areas of modern life. Located in the south of Kazakhstan, the city of Turkistan draws attention with its different cultural characteristics. The dominance of Kazakhs in the public space of the city and in daily life is one of the prominent differences of the city. In the city, where modernization continues rapidly, many elements of traditional culture are carried to modern life. It is observed that the wedding (toy) and the traditions related to the wedding, which have a very important place in the Kazakh culture, have become a part of modern life. Those who manage such meetings of the Kazakhs are called "asaba" in Kazakhs. But the word "tamada", taken from Russian, is more commonly used for this person. Tamadas do this as their main occupation. Others also do that as a second job besides their main occupation. Tamadas, who have command of oral and traditional culture, are obliged to manage the meetings held on various occasions, especially for the weddings, from the beginning to the end. They are presenters who are the master of word and who skillfully use examples of dif-ferent genres of folk literature, from epics to proverbs and idioms. At the same time, they take advantage of the opportunities and innovations brought by modern life to make their presentations more effective. The salary that these artists, who graduated from different modern educational institutions, receive in return for the work they perform, increases or decreases in direct proportion to their recognition and mastery. The terms asaba and tamada are discussed in this article, followed by an evaluation of the tamadas' profession of choice, process of specialization, repertory, and performance style within the context of traditional Kazakh oral culture. In order to determine if tamadas are independent artists or urban representatives of old masters of speech like jirav and akin in the city, tamadas are analyzed as a cultural transmitter. The study aims to identify the fundamental traits of the Turkestan tamadas. A diachronic and contemporaneous comparison is not made in order to stay within the bounds of the topic.