Music without borders

During the trip, the young musicians visited local markets, vast grasslands and lakesides. They spoke with residents and explored the stories behind Belt and Road Initiative cooperation projects across Kazakhstan, drawing inspiration for their musical creations.

"Through the show, Kazakhstan was known not as a postcard, but as a living, breathing land with the wind of the steppe, the warmth of its people, and the silence," says Kudaibergen.

Although he has spent much of the past decade traveling the world — estimating that only about 20 percent of that time was in Kazakhstan — the singer says he is now making an effort to stay home more often; he hopes to rediscover inspiration in the culture and landscape that shaped him.

For instance, he mentions the beauty of his mother tongue, which, in his view, is not a vehicle for intense, physical emotion; instead, it demands honesty.

"The Kazakh language is deeply musical by nature. It has space within it. It teaches patterns and respect for silence. If someone plays the dombra (a traditional two-stringed plucked instrument), you immediately picture the grassland, the horses.

"When I sing or write in Kazakh, I feel my connection to the land and my love for our steppes."

"I also wanted the musicians to feel that their roots are not limits, but a source of strength," he says.