Houston Qazaq Community to Celebrate 180th Anniversary of Abay Qunanbaiuly
An evening of poetry, music and reflection honors the Qazaq poet’s lasting wisdom.
Dombyra musician Bek Nuriddinuly will join Texas Qazaq Foundation for a special performance commemorating the 180th anniversary of the birth of Qazaq poet and philosopher Abay Qunanbaiuly on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Houston’s Texas Qazaq Foundation celebrates the 180th anniversary of poet-philosopher Abay Qunanbaiuly with music, poetry and reflection on his Qara Sözder and enduring call for moral renewal.
On October 10, Houston will host a public celebration honoring the 180th anniversary of Abay Qunanbaiuly, the poet, philosopher and composer whose writings continue to shape Kazakhstan’s moral and intellectual life. Organized by the Texas Qazaq Foundation, the evening will bring together community members, scholars and local leaders for a program of music, poetry and reflection on Abay’s legacy.
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“Abay believed that poetry could awaken conscience and guide society,” said Alash Mendybayev of the Texas Qazaq Foundation. “His spirit lives on wherever people seek wisdom and self-knowledge through culture, education and the arts.”
Born in 1845, Abay urged his readers to seek knowledge, live with integrity and respect others. His poems and essays—collected in the Qara Sözder (Book of Words)—call for education, self-discipline and moral renewal. Through these works, Abay challenged his contemporaries to reflect critically on the soul and society, leaving behind a body of thought that remains deeply relevant today.
The evening will feature Bek Nuriddinuly, a renowned dombyra musician visiting from Kazakhstan, whose performance will evoke the lyrical world of Abay’s verse. The dombra, a two-stringed lute central to Qazaq oral tradition, links song and poetry in a single act of cultural memory.
Organizers hope the celebration will not only honor Abay’s timeless wisdom but also strengthen connections between Houston’s growing Central Asian community and the city’s diverse cultural landscape.
The Abay 180th Anniversary Celebration will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn Houston Energy Corridor (12245 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079).