Shamshi Kaldayakov (; 15 August 1937, Otyrar District, Shauyldyr aul – 29 February 1992, Almaty) was a Kazakh composer. He was born Shamshy Donbayev, but ran away from school and changed his name to avoid the police. He started playing music aged 17 and mainly wrote songs in a waltz style, but in 1956, he composed the music to the patriotic song My Kazakhstan. It was adopted in 2006 to be the Kazakhstan national anthem by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev after a few modifications in the lyrics. References External links Biography 1937 births 1992 deaths People from Ordabasy District Kazakhstani composers Male composers Kazakhstani musicians National anthem writers 20th-century male musicians