Kazakhstan make benefit of ‘Borat’ composer Cohen

The government of Kazakhstan wasn’t happy with “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” the film in which Sacha Baron Cohen played a fictional journalist from that country who poked fun at Americans.

But not everyone there had problems with the comedy. England’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reports that the Turan Alem Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra will premiere a new work in London today that conductor/violinist Marat Bisengaliev commissioned from Erran Cohen, who composed the music for “Borat.”

The paper said that the work, “Zere,” will be performed later in Kazakhstan and in Mumbai by the Symphony Orchestra of India, of which Bisengaliev is music director. It also will be released on CD by Sony BMG.

Composer Cohen, brother of Sacha Baron Cohen, said he was surprised that Bisengaliev contacted him.

“But after I’d got over the initial shock of being rung up by someone from Kazakhstan, I thought it was a great accolade if they liked the music in the film so much that they asked me to write for a symphony orchestra,” Erran said.

He told the paper that “Zere” features Kazakh instruments, “like the dombra, which is a Kazakhstani two-string guitar, and the kobuz, which is like a Jew’s harp.”