Rajabi, Yunus

Yunus Rajabi collected, systematized and recorded more than one and a half thousand folk songs and instrumental works that have been in folk memory for many centuries; he kept them for future generations. In fact, Yunus Rajabi accomplished a feat in the field of preservation of folk music, since up to the 20th century, there was no musical notation in Uzbekistan, and therefore melodies were passed from mouth to mouth, from one generation to another.

As Academician Wahid Zahidov said about Yunus Rajabi:

"Tearing the blanket of oblivion from the dust-covered centuries of beautiful melodies, he polished them, turned these precious pearls into the possession of descendants."

Yunus Rajabi was born in Tashkent on January 5, 1897, in the Chakar mahalla. He was the last, 16 children (10 of whom died) in the family of Rajab-aka and Oisha-bibi.

My father was engaged in agriculture and livestock, the mother ran a farm and looked after the children. Yunusa Rajabi was a very gifted woman - she read the Qur'an by heart, was fond of poetry, composed poetry, knew many verses and recited with pleasure with friends. And her hands were truly golden: she spun yarn at home, knitted, sewed clothes for children. My father was a fun enthusiastic nature, he loved art, music. He always took little Yunus with him on public holidays, parties, weddings. There, the boy first heard the performances of famous singers and joined the world of music, which forever became his main passion.

The elder brother gave Yunus a dutar. The father also encouraged his son's passion for music. Little Yunus made his first speech by Ilkhom's teahouse. The boy had an absolute ear and a phenomenal musical memory .

Already in early childhood, hearing only once, even a very complex, long-lasting melody, he quickly memorized it and accurately reproduced it. The famous hafiz Mirzo Kasym lived next door to the Rajabi family, and little Yunus began to learn from him to play the dutar. At that time, his peers spent time in games on the street, and he worked for hours, improving performing skills.

Yunus performed music by M. Kasym:

• OMON EP
• Ajam
• "Ashvoi"
• other.

At the same time, he studied at school and at the madrasah, graduated in 1913. In the same year, his father died. The teenager began to work in a slaughterhouse for material support of the family. While working, he only dreamed of returning home and making music. After a memorable evening in a teahouse, he became popular - and famous singers invited him to accompany him on holidays and parties. And soon a meeting took place that finally convinced the young man that his calling was music. In 1916, he met with folk singer Shorahim Shoumarov. Friendship has grown into a prolific creative union.

In his youthful years, Yunus Rajabi acquired a low baritone with a velvet timbre. Then he began to learn singing from the hafiz, Mulla Tuychi Tashmukhammedov, and soon became his best student, having mastered the technique of singing so much that he even often replaced his teacher in concerts.

Yunus’s abilities for organizational and pedagogical activity were also revealed. He found young, talented boys and girls and organized circles, teaching them music. Thus, by the time the People’s Conservatory was opened in Tashkent in 1919, he was already a well-established performer and experienced teacher. Therefore, when Yunus decided to go to the conservatory, those around him discouraged him: “You are already a famous musician, why do you need this?” But Yunus understood that he needed a professional musical education. He became a student; for 4 years, Yunus improved the game of dutar and nae, studied the Bukhara Shashmakom, and mastered theoretical disciplines.

In 1923 he was sent to Samarkand, where he engaged in active concert activities, becoming the head of the musical drama theater. In Samarkand, Yunus met with the largest hafiz and dutarist, Macaque connoisseur Khoja Abdulaziz Rasulev; this meeting largely determined his creative credo. It is in Samarkand that the historical mission of Yunus Rajabi originates - the collection and recording of maqoms. He stubbornly searched for melodies and songs, wrote them down (a musical education came in handy) and was engaged in their thorough processing. He went around the whole republic in search of new works.

At the same time, Rajabi begins to compose his melodies and songs, which immediately become popular, such as: “Bahor”, “Hammamiz”. In 1927 he returned to Tashkent and headed the ensemble of folk instruments in the newly organized radio committee. Since that time, the whole life of Yunus Rajabi has been connected with working on the radio. The ensemble is becoming popular not only in the republic, but also abroad. In 1937, at the Moscow Radio Festival, the performing arts of the ensemble were highly praised. The ensemble has been very successful to this day, having done a lot to popularize folk songs and works of Uzbek composers. The mature period of his life has come, the period of the heyday of his talents. There is not a single genre in which he did not make his creative contribution. The formation and flowering of the Uzbek musical drama is inextricably linked with his name.

Together with Russian composers B. Nadezhdin, V. Uspensky, G. Mushel, he writes music for the dramas “Mukanna”, “Kasos”, which were successfully performed on the stage of the Khamza Theater (Uzbek National Theater) and other theaters. Prepared radio montages "Navoi", "Mukimi", "Furkat". He creates such large-scale works for a symphony orchestra as “Seoh”, “Ferghana Suite”. His contribution to the development of the opera art of Uzbekistan is huge. Such famous operas as Zeynab and Oman, Nazira were written with the direct participation of Yunus Rajabi.

And his symphonic suites “Uyin bayeti”, “Seven suites”, “Buttermilk suite” were among the best programs of the ensemble “Bahor”, enriching his repertoire. Inheriting from his mother a love of poetry, he breathed a second wind, reviving for new life in music the verses of the classic poets A. Navoi, Babur, Furkat, Mukimi. Songs such as “Ushshok”, “Bayet I — II”, “Cats”, “Adoyas I — II” - composed and performed with high art by the singer, enjoyed popular love. Since 1939, the multivolume of Rajabi “Uzbek Folk Music” began to be published.

In each of the volumes of more than 200 works, and after the war appears six-volume "Shashmakom." A major event in the cultural life of the republic was the release of phonograph records with the recordings of “Shashmakoma”. These notes were made in difficult conditions: the windows of the radio committee overlooked the street with tram tracks. And so that the sound was not ruined by a roar, recorded from 12 nights to 5 in the morning. These ensemble records still make up the golden fund of the Uzbek radio. In addition to the many-sided creative activity, Yunus Rajabi carried out a large public work. Twice elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council, repeatedly elected as a member of the board of the Union of Composers, took an active part in musical life.

Despite the fact that Yunus Rajabi early became a recognized teacher, he never stopped improving himself. In 1940, as part of talented musicians, he was sent to Moscow to take courses of melodic composers. The head of the courses, the famous musicologist V. Vinogradov later recalled how he immediately drew attention to the extremely neat, collected and purposeful Yunus. He listened very carefully to the lecturer, all the while writing down something and comprehended with rather great interest and diligence rather tedious lessons in musical theory. This caused deep respect and in the future friendly relations were established between them. Many years of friendship connected him with outstanding composers D. Kabalevsky, D. Shostakovich.

On one of his first trips to Tashkent, Shostakovich, who had heard of maqoms, expressed a desire to listen to this music. He was invited to the radio committee. After listening to the ensemble for more than an hour, he, without restraining his emotions, with tears in his eyes, kissed Yunus Rajabi. ““ Peerless music! ”He exclaimed and asked for a memory cassette with notes.

Yes, life flew by quickly, but how many bright, unforgettable meetings it presented, how many interesting events it contained. He was lucky with mentors and teachers, and also with his students, too - they respectfully addressed him with an “ostoz”. He has more than 300 of them. Uzbek art is proud of many today. Among them: Doni Zokirov, Nodira Akhmedova, Fakhritdin Sadikov, Sattor Yarashev, Tamara Khanum.

Like many talented people, Yunus Rajabi was talented in everything. He painted beautifully. With a few strokes of a pencil, he created a recognizable image for everyone, always emphasizing only the best qualities of a person. He could perfectly cook national dishes. Rajabi was a wonderful storyteller, with a sparkling sense of humor. “If you are not in the company of Yunus-aka,” those who knew him said. He stood, listened, and suddenly suddenly said - "Popov was a great man - he invented the radio."

Silence reigned and everyone looked at him in bewilderment - "When you get tired of listening, you can always remove the sound," he finished. The embarrassed musicians silently continued the rehearsal. Truly nature generously endowed him, but he fully realized this gift. In many ways, this became possible thanks to a strong rear - his family, his faithful companion. Yunus Rajabi was a tall, interesting young man. In addition, talented and courteous. In the artistic environment where he turned, many beautiful girls dreamed of winning his heart. But his mother, knowing this, said: - "Son, you need a modest, domestic wife."

He followed the wise advice of his mother and never regretted it. His Kumri was just such a wife. She intuitively, femininely realized that living with such a person is a ministry. Serving his talent, his interests. And she did everything for this: she created coziness at home, a calm, benevolent atmosphere in which nothing prevented the musician from engaging in creativity. I gave birth to 12 children. All of them graduated. Among them there are folk, honored artists, honored doctors, candidates of sciences, teachers, musicians, they could not be different - because before their eyes they had an example of a father - a tireless worker.

• Order of Lenin (03/18/1959)
• People's Artist of the Uzbek SSR

• In honor of Yunus Rajabi, the metro station in Tashkent is named.
• In Tashkent , at Yunus Rajabi street (Kosmonavtov metro station), house 20, there is a house-museum ^{[1] of} Yunus Rajabi.

• Yunus Rajabi
• Yunus Rajabi
• Rajabi, Yunus