Uzbekistani Music
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The music of
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
has reflected the diverse influences that have shaped the country. It is very similar to the music of the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and is characterized by complicated
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
s and
meter The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...
s. Because of the long history of music in the country and the large variety of music styles and
musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
s, Uzbekistan is often regarded as one of the most musically diverse countries in
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
.


Classical music of Uzbekistan

The music of what is now Uzbekistan has a very long and rich history.
Shashmaqam Shashmaqam (russian: Шашмаком; uz, shashmaqom; tg, шашмақом; fa, شش‌مقام) is a Central Asian musical genre (typical of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) which may have developed in the city of Bukhara. Shashmaqam means the six ...
, a Central Asian classical music style, is believed to have arisen in the cities of
Bukhara Bukhara (Uzbek language, Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara ...
and
Samarqand fa, سمرقند , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zin ...
in the late 16th century. The term "shashmaqam" translates as ''six maqams'' and refers to the structure of music with six sections in different
musical mode In music theory, the term mode or ''modus'' is used in a number of distinct senses, depending on context. Its most common use may be described as a type of musical scale coupled with a set of characteristic melodic and harmonic behaviors. It ...
s, similar to classical
Persian traditional music Persian traditional music or Iranian traditional music, also known as Persian classical music or Iranian classical music, refers to the classical music of Iran (also known as ''Persia''). It consists of characteristics developed through the coun ...
. Interludes of spoken
Sufi poetry Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism. Sufism had an important influence on medieval literature, especially poetry, that was written in Arabic, Persian, Turkic and Urdu. Sufi doctri ...
interrupt the music, typically beginning at a low
register Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), the ...
and gradually ascending to a climax before calming back down to the beginning tone. After
Turkestan Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang. Overview Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turke ...
became part of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
in the 19th century, first attempts were taken to record national melodies of Turkestan. Russian musicians helped preserve these melodies by introducing
musical notation Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols, including notation fo ...
in the region. In the 1950s, Uzbek folk music became less popular, and the genre was barred from radio stations by the
Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in th ...
. They did not completely dispel the music. Although banned, folk musical groups continued to play their music in their own ways and spread it individually. After
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
gained independence from the
USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
in the early 1990s, public interest revived in traditional Uzbek music. Nowadays Uzbek television and radio stations regularly play traditional music. The people's Artist of Uzbekistan
Turgun Alimatov Turgun Alimatov ( uz, Turgʻun Alimatov; 20 January 1922 – 17 December 2008) was a leading Uzbek classic music and shashmaqam player and composer of 20th century folk and classic music. He was a master performer of tanbur The term ''Tanbur ...
is an Uzbek classical and folklore composer, and
tanbur The term ''Tanbur'' ( fa, تنبور, ) can refer to various long-necked string instruments originating in Mesopotamia, Southern or Central Asia. According to the ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', "terminology presents a compli ...
,
dutar The ''dutar'' (also ''Dotara, dotar''; fa, دوتار, dutâr; russian: Дутар; tg, дутор; ug, دۇتار, ucy=Дутар, Dutar; uz, dutor; ; dng, Дутар) is a traditional Iranian long-necked two-stringed lute found in Iran and ...
, and sato player. His compositions include "Segah", "Chorgoh", "Buzruk", "Navo", and "Tanovar". His image is associated with national pride and has been presented as the symbol of Uzbek classical music to the world. Another well-known Uzbek composer is Muhammadjon Mirzayev. His most famous compositions include "Bahor valsi" ("The Spring Waltz") and "Sarvinoz". "Bahor valsi" is played on Uzbek television and radio channels every spring.
Sherali Joʻrayev Sherali" Jorayev ( uz, Sherali Jorayev / Шерали Жўраев, russian: Шермат "Шерали" Джураев) is an Uzbek people, Uzbek singer, songwriter, poet, and actor. He is the People's artist of Uzbekistan. He has been an influen ...
is a singer of traditional Uzbek music. However, he has fallen out of favour with the
Uzbek government The Republic of Uzbekistan is a presidential constitutional republic, whereby the President of Uzbekistan is head of state. Executive power is exercised by the government and by the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. Legislative power is vested in t ...
, who have banned his performances on Uzbek TV as well as his public performances since 2002. He still performs at Uzbek wedding parties and in other countries to popular acclaim. In recent years, singers such as
Yulduz Usmonova Yulduz Usmonova ( uz, Yulduz Usmonova, Юлдуз Усмонова) (born December 12, 1963) is an Uzbek singer, song-writer, composer and actress. She is the People's artist of Uzbekistan and honored artist of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Tajik ...
and
Sevara Nazarkhan Sevara Nazarkhan ( uz, Sevara Nazarxon, Севара Назархон) is an Uzbek singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical style incorporates Uzbek folk and contemporary music. Nazarkhan has achieved worldwide fame and has collaborated wi ...
have brought Uzbek music to global audiences by mixing traditional melodies with modern rhythms and instrumentation. In the late 2000s, Ozodbek Nazarbekov mixed contemporary music with elements of traditional Uzbek music.


Western Classical music in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has also produced many notable composers and performers in the European classical art music idiom, and is home to notable symphony orchestras, festivals, and contemporary music ensembles. The State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, based in
Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
and founded in 1936, is the nation's leading higher education institution for the professional training of musicians.


Contemporary music of Uzbekistan

Many forms of popular music, including
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
, pop, and
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
, have particularly flourished in Uzbekistan since the early 1990s. Uzbek pop music is well developed, and enjoys mainstream success via pop music media and various radio stations. Many Uzbek singers such as
Sevara Nazarkhan Sevara Nazarkhan ( uz, Sevara Nazarxon, Севара Назархон) is an Uzbek singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical style incorporates Uzbek folk and contemporary music. Nazarkhan has achieved worldwide fame and has collaborated wi ...
and
Sogdiana Fedorinskaya Sogdiana (Russian language, Russian: Согдиана), also known as Sogdiana Fedorinskaya (Russian language, Russian: Согдиана Федоринская), born as Oksana Vladimirovna Nechitaylo (Russian language, Russian: Оксана В ...
,
Rayhon Ganieva Rayhon Gʻaniyeva ( uz, Rayhon Gʻaniyeva / Райҳон Ғаниева; russian: Райхон Ганиева; born 16 September 1978, in Tashkent), better known simply as Rayhon, is an Uzbek singer, songwriter, and film actress. She is an honore ...
have achieved commercial success not only in Uzbekistan but also in other
CIS Cis or cis- may refer to: Places * Cis, Trentino, in Italy * In Poland: ** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central ** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north Math, science and biology * cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
countries such as
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, and
Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
.


Rock

Currently
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
enjoys less popularity than
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
in Uzbekistan. An Uzbekistani
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
band who has some degree of recognition is Night Wind, a
folk metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for exampl ...
group. Other Uzbekistani metal groups include Iced Warm, Salupa, Zindan, and Agoniya ().


Rap

Rap music Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
has become popular among Uzbek youth. Rappers such as Shoxrux became very popular among young people in the 2000s. However, the Uzbek government censors rap music. It has set up a special body to censor rap music because it believes this type of music does not fit the Uzbek musical culture.


Musicians

*
Ari Babakhanov Ari Babakhanov (born 1934) is an Uzbekistani musician who performs the long-necked lutes tanbur, qashqari rubab and dutar. Biography Babakhanov was born in Bukhara into a Jewish family which can look back on an outstanding dynasty of traditio ...
*
Lola Astanova Lola Astanova (russian: link=no, Лола Астанова; born on 3 July 1982 in Tashkent, USSR) is a Russian-American pianist noted for her visual performance and piano transcriptions. Career Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at the age of six Asta ...


Artists and bands


Uzbek artists

*
Alisher Uzoqov Alisher Uzoqov (sometimes spelled Alisher Uzakov in English) ( uz, Alisher Uzoqov, Алишер Узоқов) (born August 25, 1984) is an Uzbek people, Uzbek actor, film director, singer, and professional footballer. Uzoqov received widespread rec ...
* Anvar Gʻaniyev * Botir Zokirov * Botir Khusanbaev * Eson Kandov * Daler Xonzoda * Feruza Jumaniyozova *
Lola Yoʻldosheva Lola Yoʻldosheva (sometimes spelled Lola Yuldasheva in English) ( uz, Lola Yoʻldosheva, Лола Йўлдошева) (born September 4, 1985), better known simply as Lola, is an Uzbek singer, songwriter and film actress. She rose to prominence i ...
* Rayhon *
Sevara Nazarkhan Sevara Nazarkhan ( uz, Sevara Nazarxon, Севара Назархон) is an Uzbek singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical style incorporates Uzbek folk and contemporary music. Nazarkhan has achieved worldwide fame and has collaborated wi ...
* Yulduz Turdiyeva * Ozodbek Nazarbekov * Botir Qodirov * Xamdam Sobirov


Uzbek bands

*
Bolalar Bolalar are an Uzbek pop-rock band formed in 1989 by Tohir Sodiqov, Bahodir Poʻlatov, Javohir Zokirov, and Ruslan Sharipov. The band currently consists of members Tohir Sodiqov (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Timur Gaynutdinov (lead guitar), Baxti ...
* Dado * Night Wind * Yalla * Benom * Ummon


Composers in the western classical tradition

* Dilorom Saidaminova *Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky * Felix Yanov-Yanovsky * Mirsodiq Tojiyev * Mutavakkil Burhonov * Polina Medyulyanova


Instruments

Many
musical instruments A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
are played in Uzbekistan. Traditional instruments include:


String

* Dutor (long-necked fretted lute) * Rubob (long-necked fretted lute) *
Tanbur The term ''Tanbur'' ( fa, تنبور, ) can refer to various long-necked string instruments originating in Mesopotamia, Southern or Central Asia. According to the ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', "terminology presents a compli ...
(long-necked fretted lute) *
Tor Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to: Places * Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain * Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city * Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano * Tor Bay, Devon, England * Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia Sc ...
(long-necked fretted lute) * Ud (long-necked fretted lute) * Gʻijjak (spike fiddle) * Chang (struck zither)


Wind

*
dili tuiduk Dili ( Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
*
Karnay The karna or karnay (russian: карнай; Arabic, fa, کرنا ''karnā'', ''qarnā'', Hindi ''karnā'', Tajik ''карнай'' ''karnai'', also ''karnaj'', Uzbek ''karnay'', Kazakh ''керней kernei'') is a metal natural trumpet. The ...
(long trumpet) * Nay (side-blown flute) * Qoʻshnay (clarinetlike instrument made from reed) *
Surnay The zurna ( Armenian: զուռնա zuṙna; Old Armenian: սուռնայ suṙnay; Albanian: surle/surla; Persian: karna/Kornay/surnay; Macedonian: зурла/сурла zurla/surla; Bulgarian: ''зурна/зурла''; Serbian: зурла/zu ...
(loud oboe)


Percussion

*
Doira Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Persians, Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, ...
(frame drum) * Dovul (drum) * Nogʻora (pot-shaped drum covered with leather on the top) * Qoshiq (spoons) * Zang (bracelets)


References


External links


Uzbek Modern Music
Website dedicated to modern popular Uzbek music
Uzbek Classical Music
Website dedicated to traditional Uzbek music
History of Uzbek music
Oriental Express
Uzbek Music
by Mark Dickens, Oxus Communications

the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan

Tours of Uzbekistan
Eurasian music science journal
scientific journal of music research founded by The state conservatory of Uzbekistan {{Music of Asia Uzbekistani