Thursday 23 February 2017

Xozhixon Boltayev - Old Masters Of Arts of Uzbekistan, Vol. 25 - LP published in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1988 (1967)


Here we present a LP by Xozhixon Boltayev (Xojixon Boltaev, Хожихон Болтаев), a great singer from Khiva, the old city in Khorezm in western Uzbekistan. The recordings were first published in 1967.
Xozhixon Boltayev was in the middle of the 20th century a great master of the Khorezm Maqoms called Alti-Yarim Maqom (six and a half Maqoms). This Maqom tradition is extremely poorly documented. My friend Danny brought from his trip to Uzbekistan a couple of years ago a book in English on this Maqom tradition, in which our singer is mentioned extensively. I read this very interesting book. In the internet one can find information on this tradition here. But after all the reading I did I still don't know for sure if the music on this LP corresponds more or less to this Maqom tradtion or at least to certain aspects of it or not. I guess it does. 
I see that in the Russian liner notes the words Khorezm Makom are mentioned. Perhaps someone is able to translate the Russian liner notes.
Here the only recordings I could find in the interenet named as being examples of Khoresm Maqoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeLgmn17o6g. There are in total six examples.
Another singer from Khiva, slightly younger than Xozhixon Boltayev, is Komiljon Otaniyozov (1917-1975). He also has a relation to this Maqom tradition. We posted in 2012 two LPs by him. See here.

Additions and corrections added on 5th of March 2017:
Here the track information of this LP in transcription and translation:
Yakparda suvora (folk music - A. Navoy); Savty yakparda suvora (folk music - Bayaky); Kushparda suvora va savty kushparda suvora (folk music - Ahakhy); Ka-zhanh suvora (folk music - Devony); Chapandozy suvora va savty chapandozy suvora (folk music - Makhramy, Mashrab).
The names in the brackets are the poets of the songs. 
The artist accompanies himself on Tar and is accompanied by Akhmad Ysmaylov on Doyra (frame drum). Recorded in 1967. «Stareyshye mastera yskusstv Uzbekystana» (Old Masters of Arts of Uzbekistan), vypusk 25 (volume 25).
As we see from the track information all songs belong to the genre "Suvora" which are spiritual (Sufi) songs, apparently performed in a style close to Maqom music. In the booklet to the CD "Uzbekistan - Music of Khorezm", published in the Unesco Series from Auvidis and now available from Smithsonian as a download in mp3 & flac formats including the booklet (UNES08269) (see here), the two musical forms of Suvora and Maqom (classical music) are explained. There are also 3 pieces of Maqom music and one Suvoro on the CD. The booklet can be downloaded for free.  







The man in the middle - I guess - is Xozhixon Boltayev, the man on the right Komiljon Otaniyozov.

3 comments:

Richard said...

Thank you!

Fattoxxon said...

"My friend Danny brought from his trip to Uzbekistan a couple of years ago a book in English on this Maqom tradition, in which our singer is mentioned extensively." What is the title please? I did not realise they were publishing books in English in Tashkent: I have seen several (obviously) in Uzbek but then I would need to feed them through Google Translate & would still not understand them! It will be easier to search for a specific title than to try searching at random...

(I am trying to make sense of a piece I found comparing the four 'editions' of the Shashmaqom in musical score; but it did lead me to Angelika Jung's German publication of Ari Babakhanov's score;have you seen it? The intro is in German, which will be easier for you than me, but I might have to buy it as there is no copy in any UK library I can find, including the comprehensive British Library in London!)

Tawfiq said...

Dear David, I don't remember the title of the book. It is not a recent book. It was published, I think, in Khorezm. I can ask Danny when I see him next time which will be in about 2 or 3 months.
As I'm not a musician and can't read scores I never looked at Angelike Jung's book. I have a much older one: "Quellen der traditionellen Kunstmusik der Usbeken und Tadshiken Mittelasiens", published in 1989.
See: https://katalogbeta.slub-dresden.de/id/0000947176/