Uzbekistan

Re-uploaded by request 10/19/2024

 

Munadjat Yulchieva (Munojot Yo'Ichiyeva) was born in 1960 in the Ferghâna Valley near Tashkent, Uzbekistan. From an early age it was obvious she had a great gift as a singer. She is the leading performer of classical Uzbek music as well as its Persian-language cousin Shashmaqâm. She is famous for the unique quality of her voice & her natural charisma.

Her exquisite vocal abilities nearly resulted in her being channeled into a career as an opera singer, but she was more naturally drawn towards the slow, aching music of her own ancient culture. 

 

 

She is always accompanied by her music master, the famous rubab player, Shawqat Mirzaev (The rubab [рубоб]  is a short-necked lute whose body is carved out of a single piece of wood, with a membrane covering the hollow bowl of the sound-chamber upon which the bridge is positioned. It has three melody strings tuned in fourths, three drone strings & 11 or 12 sympathetic strings. The instrument is made from the trunk of a mulberry tree, the head from an animal skin such as goat, & the strings either gut or nylon). Her repertoire includes many of his compositions, & she usually performs with his ensemble. 

Only two recordings of her music are widely available, the first, Sufi Soul for the French label Ocora (1994) & the most recent, Munadjat Yulchieva & Ensemble  Shavkat Mirzaev  on Germany's Network/Harmonia Mundi label (1997).

This latest release has the subtitle The Haunting Voice, & indeed that she has. Her singing submerges the listener in the musical culture of Uzbekistan. Her dark vibrant tones color her unique voice. Her power of expression & her natural charisma have charmed audiences everywhere she has performed.

These recordings were made by Network in the spring of 1997 at the Studio of Uzbek State Committee of Radio & Television in Tashkent, capital of this Central Asian country. The famous rubab player & professor at the Tashkent conservatoire Shavkat Mirzaev complemented his usual ensemble with additional outstanding local soloists to be better able to present all his country’s countless instruments & styles.

 

The lutes, string instruments, & zithers played on this recording demand great concentration & skill in order to achieve the incredible glissando or vibrato effects. They are joined by flutes & percussion. The slow hypnotic build-up in the pieces ends in a dramatic climax during which the tremendous mastery of the singer & the ensemble highlight whole new facets of the melody.

On The Haunting Voice, Munadjat Yulchieva & Ensemble Shavkat Mirzaev are: Munadjat Yulchieva - vocals; Shavkat Mirzaev - rubab; Shurat Razzakov – dutar & tanbur; Malika Ziaeva - dutar; Timur Mahmudov -chang; Sabir Abdullaev - kanun; Erkin Hujamberdyev - nay; Ikram Matanov - qoshnay; & Ahmadan Dadaev - gidjak.

 Munadjat Yulchieva &Ensemble  Shavkat Mirzaev – The HauntingVoice, 

Network/Harmonia Mundi, 1997. 

decryption codes in comments

Tracklist –

Kelmady

Yer-Yer

Bachor

Guncha Yanglik

Savt-I Dugah

Laly Yaman

Omony Yer

Ranolan Masun

Ey, Dilbary Djononim

Ajam Taronalary

Galdyr Talqinchasy

Ey, Gyl

Ferghanacha Djonon

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Here's a bonus for loyal travelers. Being that Muslimgauze (Bryn Jones) is one of my all-time top acts, thought you might like this. It had limited release from Staalplaat (the release was obtained by sending a blank DAT along with a portion of the insert [which became the release's j-card] from the digipak edition of Return of Black September to Staalplaat).  It was released in 2002-2004 by Important Records but now that is no longer available either.

 

 Muslimgauze ‎– Uzbekistani Bizzare & Souk, Staalplaat ‎– S.T. DAT 004, 1996. 

Abdul's Halal

Tafkir Wa Higra

With Indian Rope

Glass Mughal

The Iranian who Foubd Allah

Harijana

Rouge Amin Fraction

Glass Mughal

Tafkir Ma Higra

Abdul’s Hala

Paper Gulag

Paper Gulag

Leboneeze

 

 

Enjoy,

NØ