Kazakhstani artist performs Enrique Iglesias’ Bailando on dombyra

Ivan Zhukov, a young musician from Almaty, performed a Latin American track on the traditional Kazakh instrument dombyra.

The video was recorded at the Nomad City ethnographic complex near Almaty. He arrived at the site at 2 a.m. to capture spectacular sunrise shots over the Kazakh steppe, performing the song in a traditional chapan against the backdrop of Kazakhstan’s natural landscapes.

Zhukov said he has been recording contemporary songs adapted for the dombyra for a long time, aiming to demonstrate that this instrument can sound just as natural in international music hits as it does in Kazakh folk compositions.

A professionally trained guitarist, Ivan Zhukov learned to play the dombyra later, noting that his experience with string instruments helped him master it quickly.

The musician shared that he had been familiar with Enrique Iglesias’ music since childhood.

“We often traveled by car with my parents – to school, out of town, and on short trips – and his music was always playing on the radio. Back then, I never imagined that years later I would perform one of his most famous songs on the dombyra. For me, this moment became very warm, kind, and personal,” Zhukov said.

Released in 2014, Bailando became one of Iglesias’ biggest international hits. The song, recorded in several languages, topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for more than 40 weeks and remains one of the most recognizable Spanish-language songs of the 21st century.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstani fans would have the chance to see Enrique Iglesias perform live this autumn, with the singer scheduled to perform at Astana Arena on September 3 and at Almaty’s Central Stadium on September 5.