Fatima Kuinova

Fatima Kuinova (born on December 28, 1920) is a Bukharian Jewish Shashmakom singer. She was named "Merited Artist of the Soviet Union." [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=iRjiPR-GnnoC&pg=PA196&dq=Fatima+Kuinova&sig=ACfU3U2SwlzYxx42YUZoWDid6SmMPiw11w] ]

Kuinova was born in Samarkand but moved to Dushanbe, Tajikistan at a very young age. Her family were Bukharian Jews and their last name was originally Cohen but Fatima changed it to Kuinova to escape persecution the Jews faced under Stalin. During her childhood, she knew the famous Mullodzhanov family and was a childhood friend to Shoista Mullodzhanova. Fatima was raised in Central Asia under Stalin's Soviet regime and spoke Russian but also learned Bukhori, which is a dialect of the Persian/ Tajiki language. Her father was the cantor of the Bukharian Jewish synagogue and he taught Fatima the music of her Bukharian Jewish heritage. Kuinova began singing in different festivals at a young age. She also sang for Stalin, but he did not know about her Jewish faith.

Fatima became famous after performing for the soldiers during World World 2. In 1948, she was named "Honored Artist of the Soviet Union." [ [http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1992_08] ] After that, she began to study Shashmakom music and sang it throughout the Soviet Union and Central Asia. Fatima was one of Soviet Union's leading traditional performers. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1DB1730F932A35752C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all] ]

For a long time, Kuinova was part of the women rebab ensemble and traveled to sing in areas like Kiev, Leningrad, and Moscow. She also went on tours to Europe, Afghanistan, and Iran, where she sang for the Shah.

She immigrated to Queens, New York, USA in 1980 and settled in Rego Park, where she founded and was the for the Music of the Bukharan Jews Ensemble. [ [http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemID=2299] ] In 1992, Kuinova was a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship award, given by the National Endowment for the Arts. [ [http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/allheritage.html] ] In Queens, Fatima works with the Bukharian Jewish musical community and performs in numerous cultural and folk events in New York City.

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