In Kazakh ethnomusicology, this topic is one of the most relevant. In Soviet times, the genres of Kazakh traditional music were considered from the position of the genre system developed in Russian folklore. As a result, some genres turned out to be alien to the cultural and historical conditions of existence of Kazakh music.

Materials relating to the biography and work of traditional musicians are contained in various publications. However, based on these disparate materials, it is difficult to provide a holistic view of the creative personality of folk-professional composers.

The original system of musical genres and types of carriers of folk professional musical art was proposed by A. Mukhambetova. To do this, she turned to the traditional Kazakh calendar. According to the scientist, for a correct understanding of the peculiarities of the creativity of folk musicians, it is necessary to take into account their personal qualities. Personality and creativity in traditional culture are inseparable. This approach made it possible to single out the following types of creative personalities: type of bakhsy, type of zhyrau, type of sal-seri and type of sufi.