The qara öleñ (folk song) is characterised by its colour symbolism. The word “qara” speaks of antiquity and sacrality and its universal meaning.
Experts consider folk song as a system of symbols and codes that manifests itself on three levels: verbal (poetic text), kinesthetic (facial expressions, gestures, posture) and musical (musical language). Like any other folklore genre, folk song, in this case qara öleñ, has a hidden symbolism. This is expressed not only through the use of traditional poetic imagesand symbols of Kazakh culture (birds, animals, natural phenomena, etc.). – This is expressed not only in the use of traditional poetic symbols of Kazakh culture (birds, animals, natural phenomena, etc. – «zhūldyz öleñ», «tau öleñ», «qamshy öleñ», «shäi öleñ», etc.), but also in the structure of the song and in the practise of performance. There are a number of characteristic features of qara öleñ: firstly, universality (performed by men and women, that is, without gender and age restrictions) and in all circumstances (of course, positive) – family gatherings, folk festivals, etc.
