Yestay Berkimbayev (1874-1946) was the Kazakh akyn (poet), composer, the honored worker of arts of Kazakh SSR.
Yestay grew in the song and poetic atmosphere: his mother Kulipa and uncle Baytulym were popular singers. Yestay adopted their manner of performance of zhyrs (Kazakh folk song), dastans (legends) and tolgay (Kazakh folk philosophical poems). In 16 years Yestay Berkimbayev became known as the talented singer of national songs.
Yestay Berkimbayev continued traditions of Kazakh folk musical art. Songs as “Жай коныр“, “Наз коныр“, “Майда коныр“, “Сандугаш“,“Еркем“, “Гульнар“, etc. are full of art perfection, and melody. Yestay became wide popular after the release of the song Хорлан. The melody of this song is used in operas “Birzhan and Sara“ by M. Tulebayev, Er Targyn by Е. Brusilovsky, in concerts for kobyz (a bowed musical instrument with two strings) with an orchestra of S Shabelsky and L.Shargorodsky. M. Alimbayev's poem “Yestay - Khorlan“is devoted to Yestay Berkimbayev. In the chapter Legend the drama love story of Yestay to the girl by name of
Khorlan is told.
