Kys pen Jazdyng aytysy – Spring Competes with Winter

In Kazakh culture, the aitys is an improvised debate, usually between two akyns - or bards - in front of an audience. Each akyn improvises his or her words and songs by turns and the audience decides who in the end is victorious. The aitys bears a resemblance to competitive verbal art forms in African American culture, specifically “the dozens” and freestyle hiphop raps. In this debate, which resounds with the strong influence the Beatles had on Cold War Soviet Block musical tastes, Spring debates Winter and wins, as the seasons of the year make their annual progression.