Showing posts with label Shashmaqam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shashmaqam. Show all posts

Monday, 27 August 2018

Iskhak Katayev - On the pages of Tajik Makoms - LP released in Soviet Tajikistan in 1983


Iskhak (Isoq or Isaac) Katayev (d. 2006) was a famous singer of the Shashmaqam of Bukhara. He belonged - as so many of the Shashmaqam singers - to the Jewish community and emigrated at the end of his life to the United States. Apparently he lived part of his life in Tajikistan.
In 2016 we had posted an Uzbek MP3-CD devoted to four Shashmaqam singers. Our singer here was one these four. See there for more information on the singer.
I saw him probably live as part of the Ilyas Malayev Ensemble at two concerts in Utrecht, Holland, at the Oude Music Festival, in the early or mid 1990s. I remember that at the day before they performed they were sitting right next to me in another concert. I was unable to figure out from which country they might come. And a big cloud of a strong fragrance sourronded them which I also couldn't figure out. Only a day later I learned that these were the musicians of the Uzbek Jewish Shashmaqam ensemble from Queens, N.Y. and that the fragrance came from smoking enormous amounts of cheap Russian cigarettes. This was quite an experience and so were also the two concerts: I never had heard Shashmaqam before and was very surprised at the sheer power and loudness of their voices. Very impressing. But I really fell strongly in love with this music only in 1998 at a tour of the Ari Babakhanov Ensemble through Holland and Belgium. With each concert my love for this music became stronger and after the last concert I was so sad that the tour was over.

Here the track info as found on https://records.su/album/21756:

Side 1:
1. Nasrulloi (klassicheskaya melodiya - Dzhazbi)
2. Savti kalon (klassicheskaya melodiya - Soib)
3. Vospominaniye (muzyka nar.- Nazim, Nakis)

Side 2:
4. Ushshoki Samarkand (muzyka nar.-- Zebuniso)
5. YA schastliv (muzyka nar.- Dzh. Kuvnakov)
6. Kashkarchai mugulchai dugokh (klassicheskaya melodiya - P. Khisori)
7. Talkini ushshok (klassicheskaya melodiya - Khusayni)

Iskhak Katayev - tanbur,
Gafur Razykov - dutar,
Mikhail Katayev - doyra (3, 4),
Ensemble of National Instruments (1, 2, 5-7)

Most of the songs belong to the repertoire of Shashmaqam.



Friday, 24 August 2018

Makoms - From Uzbek People‘s Musical Legacy - Double LP released in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1984


Here a very interesting anthology of Makom traditions of Uzbekistan with older, partly very rare recordings from the years 1955 to 1984. The first LP is devoted to Shashmaqam. Side 3 has samples of the Makom tradition of Khorezm (finally) and side 4 has the one of the Ferghana Valley. A few of these recordings were already part of some of our older posts, namely the ones by the Shashmakom ensemble directed by Yunus Rajabi and the piece by Mamurjan Uzakov.
There are spoken comments in Uzbek introducing every track. We have posted two versions: one with the comments and another one without them.

Here the details from https://records.su/album/22599 (with some corrections):

Makoms - From Uzbek People‘s Musical Legacy
Comments of F. Karamatov (in Uzbek) are read by M. Rakhimov

First disc - Side 1:
1. Bebochcha (Fuzuli) - Hadji Abdulaziz Rasulov
2. Tasnifi Buzruk
3. Garduii Buzruk
4. Mukhammasi Navo - 2., 3. & 4. Student ensemble of Makomistov of Tashkent State University Conservatory dir. by Abdurahim Hamidov
5. Sarakhbori Navo - Ensemble of the makomistov of the Uzbek Television and Radio dir. by Yunus Rajabi

Side 2:
1. Talqini Bayot, Tarona, Nasri Bayot (Sakkoki, Navoi, Babur) - Ensemble of the makomistov of the Uzbek Television and Radio dir. by Yunus Rajabi
2. Mugilchai Dugoh (Fuguri) - Domla Halim Ibadov (singing, doira), Shonazar Sahibov (tanbur)
3. Iroqi Bukhoro (Babur) - Ensemble of the makomistov of the Uzbek Television and Radio dir. by Yunus Rajabi

Second disc - Side 3:
1. Tani Makom (Ogakhi) - Kamiljan Ataniyazov (Komiljon Otaniyozov) (singing, tar), Abdusharif Atajanov (doira)
2. Talqin - Amiri-Hadjikhan Baltaev (Xozhixon Boltayev) (singing, dutar), Abdusharif Atajanov (doira)
3. Kazhang Suvor va tezgasi (Ogakhi) - Madrahim Matyakubov (singing, dutar)

Side 4:
4. Dugoh Husaini (Navoi) - Sharahim Shaumarov (singing, dutar)
5. Shakhnozi gulor (Mukimi) - Halima Nasyrova and Fatima Borukhova (singing), Turgun Alimatov (tanbur), Zakirjan Abidov (dutar)
6. Bayot III (Mukimi) - Mamurjan Uzakov, Ensemble of People's Instruments
7. Ushshoq (Navoi) - Yunus Rajabi, Ensemble of People's Instruments







Saturday, 18 August 2018

Barno Ishakova (1927-2001) - B. Iskhakova sings Tajik songs - LP released in Tajikistan in 1973


Here we present an LP we recently aquired, unfortunately with a generic cover. But anyway, it is the first LP by this great artist we ever got. She is considered to be the greatest female voice in classic Uzbek and Tajik Shashmaqom music. Born in Uzbekistan she spend most of her life in Tajikistan. At the end of her life she emigrated to Israel. 
The very helpful discography at Catalog of Soviet Records gives the following details:

Barno Isxakova

Side 1:
Sinaxuruş (muz. nar.— Kooni);
Xikojat mekunad (N. Şaulov — Dƶami);
Navruzi saʙo (muz. nar.—Xafiz);

Side 2:
Mugulcai dujux (muz. nar.— Furugi);
Capandozi uşşok (muz. nar,— Maxfi);
Nasri uşşok (muz. nar.—Xafiz)

Most of the pieces are from the Shashmaqam. Noteworthy is that the poets are Persian ones like Hafiz (Xafiz) and Jami (Dzami). Tajik is a language close to Persian while Uzbek is one of the Central Asian Turkic languages. The difference between the classical repertoire in Uzbekistan and in Tajikistan is only that in Uzbekistan the poems are most times in Chagatai, a late medieval form of Uzbek, and in Tajikistan they are in Persian.

On our recent post on Traditional Music Of The Tajik People there was one track by Barno Ishakova. In 2012 and 2016 we posted already three releases by her. We see here again how differently her name can be transcribed.

Wednesday, 15 August 2018

Shashmaqam - A private CD from Tajikistan

Academy of Shashmaqam, Dushambe. From left to right you see here the three instruments: 
Dutar, Sato, Tanbur and behind the Doira.

Here a private CD of Shashmaqam from Tajikistan. My dear friend Danny obtained this CD years ago during his trip to Tajikistan. He had met there - I think during his stay in Dushambe, the capital of Tajikistan - a young man who spoke English well and Danny mentioned to him that he was searching for recordings of Shashmaqam. This young man told him that he could obtain some recordings for him. A couple of days later he gave him this CD without any further information.
It turned out that this was a MP3-CD containing around 5 hours of well recorded Shashmaqam. There are three groups of recordings, each containing three pieces: 

Mugulchai:
1. Mugulchai Buzruk
2. Mugulchai Dugoh
3. Mugulchai Irok

Savti (Sauti):
4. Savti Sarvinoz
5. Savti Hijoz
6. Savti Husayni

Silsilai Nav'i:
7. Silsilai Nav'i Makomi Segoh
8. Silsilai Nav'i Makomi Irok
9. Silsilai Nav'i Makomi Rost

Mugulchai and Savti are sections of Shashmaqam. The names after Mugulchai and Savti are the names of the Maqams to which they belong. Savti Sarvinoz is a section of Maqam Buzruk. I don't know to which Maqam the other two Savtis belong. All these are vocal pieces performed by either a female or male singer, accompanied by a small ensemble.
Silsilai Nav'i probably means "chain of melodies", which would mean then that these are a series of melodies belonging to the three Maqams mentioned. These are purely instrumental pieces.
The instruments are Sato, Tanbur, Dutar and Doira.
My guess is that all these pieces are performed by musicians of the Acadamy of Shashmaqam in Dushambe.

Here what a visitor of our blog, hk dutorchi, who had helped us before enormously, said on 21st of Sept. 2018:
"I spoke to Sirojiddin Juraev, the dutar player of the Academy of Maqom Ensemble. He confirmed that these are indeed the Ensemble's recordings. These are reference recordings made for students to learn the pieces, so they are sung intentionally with few ornements. In real performance there should be more.
With regards to the Savti Hijoz and Savti Husayni: they are two of the 12 sho'be (branches) that are meant to be "lost" sho'bes of the shashmaqom, which were recreated by the advanced students of the Academy of Shashmaqom. The Savti Hijoz is put under the maqom Segoh, and the Savti Husayni is under maqom Dugoh, both recreated by Xurshed Ibrohimov."
Thank you so much. This is a very valuable piece of information.

See on the Acadamy of Shashmaqam:
https://www.news.tj/en/news/tajikistan/society/20171024/musicians-from-tajikistans-academy-of-maqam-participate-in-international-musical-festival-in-moscow

There are two CDs by the Acadamy of Shashmaqam: a wonderful 70 minutes Maqam-i Rast. Here you can download the booklet to this CD: 
https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/SFW40521.pdf
The other one was released in 2013 by Ocora - Radio France under the title: "Tadjikistan - Chants et musiques classiques".

In 2012 we had posted a complete Shashmaqam, recorded on 16 LPs in the early 1960s. See:
Over the years we had posted also a number of other Shashmaqam recordings. See:


As the original is in mp3 format we post here also only the original mp3 files.
Many thanks to Danny for his generosity.

Abduvali Abdurashidov, founder and director of the Acamedy of Shashmaqam

Monday, 6 August 2018

Traditional Music Of The Tajik People - Anthology: Musical Art of the Peoples of the USSR - Double LP released in the Soviet Republic of Tajikistan in 1985


Here we present an interesting double LP of Tajik music. It contains on the first two sides religious and folk music. In most cases I know too little of the music to say what kind of genre it is.
On side 3 there are first one or two pieces of folk music, then some classical instrumental pieces and the last piece is supposed to be by a famous Hafiz (bard), unfortunately in a blown up version where a chorus and percussions usurp the main part, which normally have nothing to do in this music. Sharif Juraev sings only a couple of seconds in the very beginning. Typical bad outcome of cultural politics, which occured not only in Soviet times, but still today. On side 4 there is finally Shashmaqom music. 
Unfortunately there are not many releases of Tajik music available, a few of Shashmaqom and quite a number of CDs of the music of Badakhshan. As far as I know only one or two CDs of the music of the bards (Hafiz) exist.
This anthology is prepared jointly with the Folklore Comission of the USSR Composers' Union. Recordings done in 1954, 1967-1983. Manufactured at the Tashkent pressing plant. Pressed in 2000 copies.










Tuesday, 19 December 2017

Boris Namatiev (Namatiyev) - Zulfi Pareşon - LP published in Uzbekistan/Tajikistan in 1988


Here we present an LP by a well-known Jewish Shashmaqom singer from Uzbekisten, who lived apparently most of his life in Dushambe, Tajikistan. We posted in 2016 a MP3-CD with classical music from Bukhara containing 5 folders. One of these folders with 12 tracks is devoted to our artist. See here. We couldn't find much information on the singer in western languages, but there seems to be some in Russain, like here in the liner notes of the LP. Perhaps someone is so kind to translate the liner notes for us.

And here is already a translation of the liner notes by kkrka kr:
"Boris Namatiev, the Honored Artist of Tajik SSR is an actor of the A. Lakhuti State Drama Theater. During his 40 year career in the theater he has starred in numerous productions of classic plays, as well as plays by Soviet and Tajik playwrights.
Thanks to his solid vocal skills, he was particularly celebrated as an actor in musical plays, such as "The Exam" by F. Ansori (Sharif Ismati), "Arshin mol alan" by U. Gadjibekov (Asker), "The 30 kopeks charge" by Sh. Kiyamov and Farkhad (Kamal - police sergeant), and others.
B. Namatiev has done an outstanding deed in preserving and promoting the musical treasures of the Tajik Shashmaqom. He has made recordings of the most difficult/complex parts of this true pearl of folk art. The present record is the result of a long creative labour by a wonderful Tajik artist."
The recordings were made in 1985-87. Track titles are given in Tajik (which I unfortunately do not speak), followed by bracketed words "classic melody - [poet] (e.g. Hafez, Bedil...)" and once in A4 it says "folk melody".
Many thanks for the translation. Very appreciated!

On this LP the repertoire is from Shashmaqom. The ensemble plays a little in a more contemporary style bordering on Khalq (from or of the people, folk) music.

Here what we found in the internet on the artist (more focused on his acting career):
"NAMATIYEV, BORIS-ABO DAVIDOVICH (1930, Kerki, Turkmenistan). Actor, singer, and producer. Honored Artist (1970) and People’s Artist of Tajikistan (1989). Graduated from the Artistic-Musical  College (1954). Since 1948 - soloist of the orchestra  of  folk  instruments.  Actor of A. Lakhuti  Tajik  State Dramatic Theater. Played more than 100 various roles. Soloist at the children’s Ensemble “Pamir”. Participant of the decade in Moscow in 1957. Engaged in concert production, performing fragments of shashmakom. Repatriated  to Israel in 1992. Created the М.Tolmasov and G.Mullokandov Bukharian-Jewish Theater (1993-2002), where he plays in scene and produces performances: “Yosef-Ha-Tzadik” (by  A.Shalamayev), “Arshin Mal  Alan” (1994), “Esther-ha-Malka” (“Queen Esther” by А.Shalamayev, 1996), “Sacrifice of Isaac” (by B.Namatiyev and N.Yukhananоv, 1998), “Haft Barodaron” (“Seven Brothers”, 1999); “Apa Kalmoki Kaimok” (“Aunt Kalmok”) and “Gardishi Davron” (“Whirlpool of the Times”) – on the plays of А.Shalamayev. From 2002, the theater is renamed as “Theater  of Boris Namatiyev”. His creativity is described in P. Niyazov’s book “Theater of Boris Namatiyev” (2000)."

Monday, 6 June 2016

Ari Babakhanov - Shashmaqam of Bukhara - Cassette from Uzbekistan


Ari Babakhanov (born 1934) is a wellknown renewer of the old Shashmaqam of Bukhara. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Babakhanov
See also our last post containing recordings by his grandfather and his father: http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.de/2016/05/buxarskie-klassiki-classical-music-of.html
In 1998, RASA in Utrecht, Holland, organized a tour by the ensemble and I still remember very vividley, how I accompanied the tour with a CD desk and was taken by the music with each of the 5 or 6 concerts more and more and how sad I was at their last concert that the tour was finished. This is a music one has to grow into and the more one does the more rewarding it becomes.
The same year 1998 the ensemble also went in Holland into a studio and recorded a magnificent CD:


The CD is available at: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com
I bought this cassette from the musicians at a more recent concert, maybe about 10 or a little more years ago, also in RASA.


Friday, 13 May 2016

Buxarskie Klassiki - Classical Music of Bukhara - MP3-CD from Uzbekistan


Here we present another wonderful MP3-CD from the collection of our dear friend Danny, containing famous singers from Bukhara, basicly trained in Shashmaqam, all from the Jewish community of Bukhara. The CD contains five folders:
1. The Family of Babakhanovs: Levi Babakhanov (1873-1926) and his son Moshe Babakhanov (1910-1983). There grandson and son Ari Babakhanov (born 1934) is today the most famous and most authentic interpreter of the Shashmaqam. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Babakhanov. There is a wonderful CD by him and his ensemble, first published in 1999 on the Dutch label  New Samarkand Records, later republished by Pan Records. It is available from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com. We will post soon a cassette by him.
2. Barno Isxakova (Ishakova). We posted recently a MP3-CD by her here. The material here seems to be more or less completely also on that MP3-CD.
3. Berta Davidova. We posted a MP3-CD by her here. The material here seems to be more or less completely also on that MP3-CD.
4. Gabriel Mullaqandov, a great Bukharian Shashmaqam singer.
5. Boris Namateyev (Namatiev), a well-known Shashmaqam singer, who lived in Dushambe, Tajikistan.



Monday, 9 May 2016

Qurbon o'lam - Four singers of the Shashmaqam of Bukhara, Uzbekistan


Here we present a MP3-CD from Uzbekistan with four singers of the Shashmaqam of Bukhara.
"Bukharian Jewish singer and Honored Artist of Uzbekistan Isoq (Isak) Katayev sings various traditional SHASHMAQOM songs in the Tajik (Central Asian Persian) language. These songs are known throughout the world of knowers of Shashmaqom music (or the folk music of Central Asia - Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Bukharian Jews). Katayev was quite popular in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the USSR. He worked for many years on the State TV and Radio of the Uzbek SSR with many famous performers where he later was bestowed with the title Honored/Merited Artist of the Uzbek SSR (Uzbekistan). He was a great master of traditional Uzbek and Tajik Music and Shashmaqom. After immigrating to the United States in the 1990's he joined the Ensemble "Shashmaqom" (under the leadership of Fatima Kuinova, Honored Artist of Tajikistan) and later Ensemble "Maqom" (under the leadership of Ilyas Mallayev, Honored Artist of Uzbekistan) with whom he travelled and performed all over the world. Sadly, he passed away in 2006 and is buried at the Bukharian Jewish section of a Long Island, New York Jewish Cemetery. His memory will never be forgotten, may he rest in peace!"
Izro (Ezro) Malakov is another Jewish Shashmaqam singer who after a successful career emigrated to New York. "People's Hofiz (Singer) EZRO MALAKOV. Born in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan, he is a singer of traditional Bukharian Jewish and Central Asian songs as well as the cantor at the Beth Gavriel Bukharian Synagogue in Forest Hills, NY, USA."
Both these singers were present on the CD: "The Ilyas Malayev Ensemble - At the Bazaar of Love - Timeless Central Asian Maqam Music", published 1997 in the US by Shanachie and unfortunately for many years no longer available. 
The other two singers, Karim Mo'minov and Siroj Aminov, are a generation older than the first two and don't seem to belong to the Jewish community. They were members of the ensemble which under the direction of Yunus Rajabi recorded the legendary complete Shashmaqam, published in the first half of the 1960s . See our post of this box of 16 LPs here
The MP3-CD contains four folders, one for each of the four singers. They can be downloaded separately.



Many thanks again to our dear friend Danny who brought this CD from a trip to Uzbekistan.

Friday, 15 January 2016

Barno Ishakova (Iskhakova) (1927-2001) - MP3-CD from Uzbekistan


Here a MP3-CD by the great Shashmaqam singer Barno Ishakova (also transcribed as Iskhakova or Itzhakova), considered as the greatest female singer of the 20th century in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Outside of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan she is hardly known. Only very few tracks by her have been published in two anthologies, both produced by Jean During:
1. Asie centrale - Traditions classiques, a 2 CD set, Ocora - Radio France, C 560035-36, published in 1993, unfortunately for many years out of print.
2. Echoes of Paradise - Women Voices from Central Asia - Echos du Pardis – Voix de femmes d'Asie Centrale – Avaz-e Minu, Set of 2 CDs, published in 2015. This fantastic double CD can be obtained from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com


A couple of tracks we posted here in 2012. See, also for more information on the artist:



Again many thanks to Danny, who brought this CD from Uzbekistan and shared it generously with us.



Saturday, 5 September 2015

Orif Alimakhsumov - So'lim - MP3-CD from Uzbekistan


Here the next MP3-CD from Uzbekistan. This time we present Orif Alimakhsumov (also transcribed as Orif Alimaxsumov), another well-known Shashmaqam singer. He was one of the singers in the legendary complete Shashmaqam of Bukhara under the direction of Yunus Rajabi, recorded between 1960 and 1962. See our post: Shashmaqam of Bukhara - Box of 16 LPs.
He is also considered to be a master of the Maqom of the Ferghana Valley. For more information see below the links to two articles about the history of these musical traditions.
On this MP3-CD are contained three folders called CD 1 etc. We keep this division into 3 CDs and they can be downloaded separately.



Many thanks again to Danny for sharing these recordings.

About the background of the artist see:

Wednesday, 5 August 2015

Berta Davidova (1922-2007) - Legendary Shashmaqom Singer - MP3-CD from Uzbekistan



Next in our series of Uzbek MP3-CDs, which our friend Danny brought years ago from Uzbekistan, we present one by Berta Davidova, the great singer of the Shashmaqam of Bukhara. She was one of the main singers in the legendary complete Shashmaqam recorded in the early 1960s under the direction of Yunus Rajabi, which we posted in 2012. See: 



08

Berta (Balur) Davydova (1922-2007) was a famous singer from Uzbekistan. She was born into a family of Bukharian Jews and learned to speak many languages such as her native tongue of Bukhori (Bukharian Jewish language), Uzbek, Russian, and Tajik. She sang songs in many of these languages and other languages of the people of the world. She was honored as People's Artist of the Uzbek SSR (Uzbekistan) for her work. A famous Uzbek song with words by Uzbek poet Alisher Navoiy, called "MUNOJOT" (Prayer), made Berta Davydova very famous and beloved by many people in Central Asia, the former USSR, and abroad. She sang the song so well that she received the title by some as "MISS MUNOJOT". She will always be remembered for her music and development of the culture of the Central Asian peoples like Uzbeks, Tajiks and Bukharian Jews. She is buried at the Bukharian Jewish Cemetery in Tashkent Uzbekistan. 

Remembering Berta Davidova. (To the 90th Anniversary)

EDITOR NEW • 16/03/2015 • ISSUE #4 • 294
In December 2012, Berta Davidova, the People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, a remarkable singer who made a solid contribution to the national art, would have turned 90. Her life and work are covered in academic papers, numerous television shows, and a film-concert called “Berta Dovidova kuylaydi” [Sings Berta Davidova]; there is a record and a CD of the masterpieces of traditional Uzbek music professionally performed by her. The present author is hopeful that these recollections of her late mother-in-law, as impartial evidence, would inform our knowledge about Davidova’s outstanding personality and be of interest to the reader who is familiar with the art of the singer.
Berta Davidova (her real name was Billur, which means “crystal”, but only her close relatives called by this name) represents the oral tradition of ustoz – shogird [teacher to student] system of professional training. She never studied at a conservatory and did not know notation, but the school of vocal performance she went through as a singer could be envied by many a performer with a formal education certificate. Among Davidova’s first teachers were bastakor Imomjon Ikramov, the author of the “Munojot” song that made her famous: he personally rehearsed it with her; and the renowned masters of maqom Fazliddin Shahobov, Shonazar Sahibov, and domla Zirkiev. But all her life she considered Yunus Rajabi her most influential Teacher. He was the one who introduced her to the secrets of maqom singing, and, for the first time in the history of maqom, which was never performed by women before, entrusted shube (the solo numbers) to Berta Davidova in a recording of a Bukhara Shashmaqom by an all-star cast of the maqom performers’ ensemble.
Berta-opa often mentioned that Rajabi was giving a lot of attention to vocal technique, not permitting her to force the audj (culminations) with an open, throaty sound; to the skill of using diaphragm – the so-called nasal singing; and to the correct distribution of breath during long hanga chants. (Not an expert in vocals, I regret not having recorded these methods then). Persistently working to achieve the desired result, the teacher sang phrase after phrase together with her, accompanying them on either a tambur, or a dutar, beating the most complex usul (rhythmic formulas) on doira [tambourine], and Berta, with her impeccable sense of rhythm, reproduced them accurately on the same doira. Rajabi also paid much attention to lyrics, explaining their content and complex, polysemantic imagery.
Telling about her training sessions with Rajabi, Berta-opa always noted that the learning of maqom had not started immediately. For quite a while, the teacher was introducing her to folklore material and the songs of bastakor performers, where she could use the skills acquired when she was a soloist in the Radio Committee folk instruments ensemble conducted by Dani Zakirov. Based on her own experience, the singer claimed that maqom performance requires not only a mature voice, but also certain life experience. She believed that an artist, who never suffered emotional pain, would not be able to feel the spirit of maqom, comprehend its essence and meaning, and communicate it to the listener.
The validity of the statement is proved by an interval of almost thirty years between the recordings of “Munojot”. The first version (1949), filled with exultation of the young voice that effortlessly deals with vocal complexities, is different from the widely known later recording (1975) that communicates the focus of the experience master on presenting the dramatic character in the most refined finish. Artistic principles borrowed from her teacher and complemented with her own practice Davidova tried to apply to her work with conservatory students learning traditional singing; she did not always agree with the syllabi and often criticize them in terms of their practical relevance.
Valuing her profession highly, she bore the title of the People’s Artist with dignity and pride. In my memory, she never accepted offers to perform at wedding parties, although, given the singer’s enormous popularity, there was no shortage of them. She refused to benefit from this way of earning money, so common in the artistic environment, not because she was too rich – her rate for a solo concert at that time was little more than 19 roubles; neither did she own a luxury apartment or a country house. It is just that the atmosphere of the nuptial feast did not match her perception of maqom art and the special mission of its bearers. However, as a guest, she agreed when asked to sing something, and could even dance, leaving all the cash that was coming her way to the party musicians.
Berta-opa prepared for her appearances on television very carefully and responsibly (in the 1980s, when she no longer gave concerts). She herself put her concert costume in order: attire in Fergana style, with a light coat of striped bekasam [textile blend of cotton and silk], white satin or crepe-de-Chine dress, losim pants, a silk scarf worn smartly across, lacquered kaush shoes, and traditional jewellery. She rehearsed, accompanying herself on doira, first softly, and then, as her vocal chords warmed up, in a full voice; she never sang before the concert, relaxing and concentrating on the upcoming performance. All this reminded me of the charity concert preparation by the heroine of Ivan Bunin’s remarkable story “Favourable Part”.
Having phenomenal musical memory that could store long and complex shube, Berta-opa sometimes had difficulty remembering lyrics – ghazal in old Uzbek and Persian/Tajik languages. This brings to mind one humorous episode. Television producers were preparing a program dedicated to the poetry of Babur, if my memory is correct, and Berta-opa had to perform a piece based on his verses. By that time, she no longer worked, that is, was not in shape for a concert all the time. The proposal came unexpectedly, and there was not enough time for preparation. The solution was as follows: I found a piece of wallpaper left after renovation (in those days paper of the desired format was not readily available), Berta-opa wrote the text in large letters on the reverse side, and the rehearsal began. I acted as a prompter, holding the text before her eyes. In the text, a strange word ‘povza’ appeared with certain intervals, and when I asked Berta-opa about it, she said, “Here musicians play, and am silent”. The ‘povza’ meant ‘pause’ in the vocal part! During recording, the text with ‘povza’ was held behind the camera, and the performance ran without a hitch. This was not the only funny incident in her career. With her characteristic sense of humour, Berta-opa recalled one outdoor concert, when, performing rather complex and lengthy audj, she suddenly felt some kind of midge flying into her mouth! “I had to swallow it! Luckily, I didn’t choke on it, and the audience saw nothing”.
The singer often told stories about concerts delivered during cotton harvesting, when performers went out “into the fields of the land”, as people used to call it. They usually travelled by trucks with open body (buses appeared later); with sides down, the trucks turned into a stage, and the driver’s cabin served as a dressing room. The audience coming to shiypan (an open terrace in the field camp) straight from the field accommodated themselves on the ground, sitting on aprons used to pick up cotton, while younger people climbed the nearby trees. There was no amplification equipment or microphones (at that time people had no idea about a lip synch!) – just live music and sound in the open air. The response of the audience, too, was live, not recorded, not programmed. “How did they clap their hands, calling us again and again, thanking us and inviting to visit them again! I always tried to sing at the top of my voice, to entertain and cheer them up”.
Her voice had a kind of magical power and indescribable timbre, sounding smoothly and naturally in all registers. It seems, however, that the secret of Berta Davidova’s singing talent was not so much in the excellence of her performing technique, but rather in her ability to sing with her heart, empathize with her characters, and create a dramatic solo show, convincing and winning the listener with the interpretation she discovered. Her gestures, the expression of her face and eyes, and the vocal techniques she employed were justified by the content of a piece, helping the singer “to burn human hearts with a word”. The audience responded adequately: I remember a foreign graduate student visiting with her son on holidays, who was not a musician and did not understand a word in Uzbek: he wept as he listened to “Fighon” (“Lament”) performed by her. In the days of television broadcasts featuring Berta Davidova the phone kept ringing with calls from fans, friends, and acquaintances. Those were the happy moments for her.
Davidova valued the recognition of her audience – people who approached her in the streets with expressions of gratitude and admiration. Sometimes this popularity had a comic side to it: the moment she arrived in the Alai farmer’s market and went to the stalls, prices went up at once, for the sellers knew that Berta-opa never bargained, upholding her image. Still, even among the merchants there were unselfish amateurs of her art. I remember an elderly woman selling bread who always brought her finest patyr to her favourite singer, never accepting money, despite the attempts to pay.
For Berta-opa another proof of people’s love was the much cherished yellowed letter from the people of Andijan that arrived to the Radio Committee in 1957 and was passed on to the singer by its chairman H. Ibragimov. The letter contained a request to broadcast the songs of their favourite singer more often, and a suggestion to reward her artistic achievements. In the same year the title of the Honoured Artist of Uzbekistan was conferred on her, and Berta-opa always believed that she largely owed it to her admirers.
Deep and sincere was the singer’s love for her home country. When awarded the El-Yurt Hizmati [Service to the Nation] Order by the President Islam Karimov, in all her interviews and public appearances she always spoke of her devotion to the country that nurtured her and to its people, whose art she served. This was her conscious position chosen once and for all, and she repeatedly rejected offers to leave the country. Once the top party leadership of Tajikistan approached Sharaf Rashidov with an official request, to which a negative response was given, first of all, by her. Once Uzbekistan became independent, Israeli officials repeatedly offered Davidova to return to her ‘historical homeland’; she also received invitations from her brothers – one in Canada, the other in Germany, and still the other in Israel. Yet she invariably answered: “Here I was born and happened to be of some use, and here I will die. Uzbekistan made me its people’s artist – so it will bury me the way it should be”. She, certainly, regretted that in the bloom of her art she could not go on tour abroad, as today’s singers and musicians do, but she never imagined her life outside her native environment.
The singer was as adamant in her choice between art and family. She had to part with the father of her only son due to the firm demand to abandon her profession and leave stage. Another attempt to fix her personal life also ended in a failed relationship: Berta’s second husband, one of the managers in GlavMosStroy [the Moscow Construction Administration] who arrived in Tashkent in the aftermath of the 1966 earthquake, invited her to move to Moscow where he had a nice apartment and comfortable life. Berta-opa recalled: “When Sharaf Rashidovich Rashidov learned about this, he invited us to his office and listened to our story. He had no objection to my move to my husband’s, yet he noted: ‘Your art is needed here. Your audience, the fans and admirers of your talent are all here. Think about what is more important to you, so that you don’t regret it in the future.’ I gave it a thought – and stayed…”
Berta Davidova is no longer with us, but the singer’s voice lives on in records, delighting the ear and aesthetic sense of amateurs of traditional music. Her vocal art has not yet been studied thoroughly, awaiting its researcher who, as we hope, will soon arrive. The Art of Berta Davidova, the People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, left behind as heritage of our nation is worthy of examination and careful research.


BERTA DAVIDOVA      
In recent years we have witnessed an active interest towards classical Oriental music art in the whole world. Makom is a phenomenon of the spiritual culture of Central Asia; however its significance goes for beyond the limits of the region. From the philosophical point of view, makoms are a musical reflection of the objective reality, expressed through symbols and notions of a high aesthetic order through pursuit of harmony of Infinity. Although we marvel at beauty and manysidedness of the instrumental part, it is still the vocal that forms the bases of makoms.
Life and creative activity of the wonderful singer of makoms - Berta Davidova is closely intertwined with the history of development of traditional musical arts of Uzbekistan. Despite the fact that her professional biography has always been closely linked to the history of the formation makomists' first ensemble, it is from/with her name that the popularity of female solo makom performance begins. Female vocal parts were an innovation seen as deviation from traditions in the practice of performance of makoms.    
Berta Davidova was born in 1922 in Margilan in a family which loved music and supported musical talents of the girl. In 1935-1938 she studied at Tashkent Medical Vocational School. During the Second World War she worked as a nurse at Tashkent military hospital, where she sang for wounded soldiers, patients of the hospital.
Berta Davidova's career as a singer began in 1943, when she started to work as a soloist of the chorus of the State Radio Committee, and then as a soloist of "Makom" ensemble under the leadership of Yunus Rajabiy. She became renowned as early as in 1946 after she had performed classical folk song "Munojat" during the live broadcast on Uzbek radio.
In 60s of XX century, over period of work in "Makom" ensemble, where her talent and remarkable musical gifts showed up best, she quickly became well-known and occupied a well-deserved place among outstanding artists of the country and beyond. Spiritually elevated poetics of the invaluable asset of the national and world culture "Shashmakom", which has formerly been considered as elitist, palatial music, became accessible to general public and acquired popularity to a large extent due to high performing mastery of Berta Davidova and her self-sacrificing serving the cause of art. Makoms formed the basis of her repertoire. In makom's history there were many bright performers, but the performance manner of Berta Davidova rendered makoms with new inimitable sounding amidst established traditions. Makom pieces when performed by her were steeped in deep sensations, disclosing not only the deep philosophic meaning of Oriental poetry, but also richness of her own soul.
Possessing her phenomenal musical abilities and faculty of coordinating breath and voice, which was remarkable due to unique strength and beautiful tone, enabled her to perform unrivaled ŕudjes - plangent wide-range culminations of vocal parts.
Apart from makoms, Berta Davidova performed classic songs, such as "Munojat", "Figon", "Sarakhbori Oromijon", "Samarkand ushogi", "Dugokh", "Bayot-1", etc.
Both makoms and song repertoire of the singer is included in the "Golden Stock" of Uzbek radio. Due to outstanding talent of Berta Davidova, a large variety of pieces of Oriental musical art has been included in the world treasury of musical masterpieces." 

See also this passage from the book "From Shamanism to Sufism: Women, Islam and Culture in Central Asia" by Razia Sultanova. The two female singers on the records of the complete Shashmaqam talk there (in chapter 22) about their lives, and about the recording of this Shashmaqam: 
and: