Zhan Kasteyev is a producer and the grandson of renowned Kazakh artist Abylkhan Kasteyev, a foundational figure in Kazakhstan’s national visual arts. He began his career in the music industry in 1997 as a producer of the ethno-group “Urker”, where he explored new approaches to ethnic music. He later became the executive producer of major cultural festivals, including “The Spirit of Tengri”, which grew into prominent cultural events attracting tens of thousands of participants from across Central Asia each year. He is a leading advocate for world music in Kazakhstan.