Shoista Mullodzhanova

Infobox actor
name = Shoista Mullojonova


imagesize = 175px
birthname = Shoista Rubinovna Mullodzhanova
birthdate = birth date|1925|9|3
birthplace = Dushanbe, Tajikistan
yearsactive = 1933-present
spouse = Efrem Haritonovich Benyaev
awards= People's Artist of USSR
People's Artist of Tajikistan
Merited Artist of Tajikistan
Gold Medal at the World Festival of Youth and Students"'

Shoista Mullojonova (born as Shushana Rubinovna Mullodzhanova on September 3, 1925) is a famous legendary Bukharian Jewish Shashmakom singer. She won many awards and titles in her career including the presitigious "People's Artist of the Republic of Tajikistan" and "People's Artist of USSR." She is viewed, by many people, as the "Queen of Tajik Music." Her nephew, Yudik Mullodzhanov, is a famous singer, and her niece, Rosa Mullodzhanova, is "Merited Artist of Tajikistan."

Biography

She was born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan to a religious Bukharian Jewish family to mother, Sivyo Davydov, from Samarkand and father, Ruben Mullodzhanov, from Bukhara. The Mullodzhanov family trace their ancestry to an artistocratic Levite tribe that has been into performing and entertainment since the time of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem. Shoista had four older brothers. She came from a family full of entertainers (actors, singers, and musicians), so singing was in her blood. In 1924, her parents and her four older brothers moved from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan and Shoista was born a year later. Mullodzhanova learned to speak fluent Bukhori, a dialect of the Persian language, and Russian. Her mother was also a singer and her whole family was into music and acting. Shoista studied at the Stalinabad Women's Pedagogical School and later at Moscow Conservatory, where she graduated cum laude.

Mullodzhanova had her debut at age 8 when she sang on Dushanbe radio. During the beginning of her career, she sang all over Central Asia and the Middle East. She was part of the Rubab Player Ensemble in Tajikistan's Ensemble. In the early 1940s, she sang in Iran for the royal Shah family, including Reza Shah the Great, and for the Iranian audience in her native Persian language. She was also named "Merited Artist of Tajikistan" at the tender age of 20. In the 1940s, Shoista was Tajikistan's first Shashmakom princess (equivalent to a pop princess). Mullojonova performed at the Aini Theater for Opera and Ballet. Shoista became instructor of Tajikistan Institution of Art and a soloist for the Tajik State Philharmonic.

Through the years, she sang Shashmakom music all over the Soviet Union and made a wonderful living with her husband Efrem Haritonovich Benyaev. Some of her most popular songs were Shashmakon Bukharian folk songs that included "Hushon Zabon" and "Yalalum." [http://www.bjews.com/modules.php] She was named the "People's Artist of Tajikistan," in 1957 [http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/bashiri/TajikFigures/TajikFigures.pdf] and People's Artist of USSR. [http://bjews.com/modules.php?set_albumName=MUSICIANS-AND-SINGERS&id=Shoista_Mullojanova&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php] Mullodzhanova has become very successful through the years and one of the most famous entertainers in Central Asia and in the Bukharian community. Even though Jews were treated unfairly in Central Asia, Shoista's talent brought her wealth and fame in a communist country. In the 1980s, Mullodzhanova received a reputation for being the Queen of Tajik Music and the Central Asian Madonna. She sang in Central Asia and all over the Soviet Union for over 50 years.

In 1991, Shoista and her family began to move from Central Asia, to the United States and some family members moved to Israel because of the Collapse of the Soviet Union. There was civil war and rise of Islamic Fundamentalism in Tajikistan, so they moved out to go to another country for a better life. Shoista settled in Forest Hills in Queens, New York.

Shoista has three children: Ana (a businesswoman who lives in Forest Hills, NY), Dr. Negmat (who lives in Moscow), and Dr. Sofia (who lives in Austria).

She might have left her native country almost twenty years ago, but Mullojonova will always be remembered as Tajikistan's singing sensation and as the Queen of Tajik music. Mullodzhanova is the most popular singer Tajikistan has ever produced. Shoista and popular Bukharian Jewish dancer, Malika Kalantarova (People's Artist of the USSR), are probably the most famous entertainers in Tajik history and even though they left the country, their work will always be remembered in their birth place.

Mullodzhanova still sings sometimes in family and Bukharian Jewish events. After her husband, Efrem Haritonovitch Benyaev, died, she dedicated an album in memory of her husband. In September 2005, in Forest Hills High School, Mullodzhanova came out of her 15-year retirement to sing for a crowd of audience who all came to celebrate her 80th birthday. Some of the people in the audience that heard her sing were Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, President Emomalii Rahmon of Tajikistan, and Boris Kandov, President of the Bukharian Jewish Community. Shoista was praised and honored for her amazing performance that was enjoyed by the whole audience. Even at age 80 she was able to touch people with her singing and remind them that she is singing for each and every one of them, as she says, "I am singing for you."

Boris Kandov wrote a biography about Shoista Mullodzhanova which he titled "Born to Sing" as well as making a documentary about the legendary singer.

References