Uzbek singer Yulduz Usmanova was born on December 12, 1963 in Margilan, Uzbekistan. She was a unique phenomenon in the global pop culture of the 1990s. Hailing from a recently established country that for generations was part of the former Soviet Union, she represented a new spirit of freedom, independence and innovation, while also celebrating age-old traditions. To her fans in her homeland of Uzbekistan, Yulduz is the voice of the future. To her European audience she is an icon of authenticity who connects the old to the new the East to the West.
When the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan established its independence in 1991, Yulduz Usmanova suddenly found new opportunities to express her art. Born in the 1960s in a working class family in Namagan, a rural city situated along the ancient silk route which connects Europe to China, Yulduz sang earned her living by working in a silk factory and singing at wedding parties. The Uzbek star, singer Gavhar Rahimova noted her talent and in 1984 provided for Yulduz to study at the music academy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. Yulduz’s performances soon attracted huge crowds. Her big break came in 1991 when she performed at the first-ever Voice of Asia festival in Alma Ata, capital of Kazakhstan.
Since then, Yulduz has toured Turkey, South East Asia, Australia as well as Europe. She has performed at several major European festivals like WOMAD (UK), Roskilde (Denmark) and Mundial (The Netherlands) while still regularly entertaining crowds in the home country. Her frequent visits to Western Europe resulted in three albums recorded for an independent German label: “Alma Alma” (1993), “Jannona” (1995) and “Binafscha” (1996), cementing her growing reputation as a powerful singer and an imposing stage performer.
A superstar in her native country – she sold a staggering 5 million units in Uzbekistan, a country of 15 million inhabitants – Yulduz Usmanova represents a newfound pride to her fellow countrymen and women. To the younger generation she is an independent woman who breaks away from the traditional female role in society. To the older generation she represents a proud cultural tradition that has been stifled by years of Soviet colonialism. Almost single-handedly Yulduz has updated Uzbekistan’s folk music and made it accessible to Western audiences.
“It’s important for me to live in Uzbekistan,” she says. “That’s where my family lives and that’s where my roots are. I don’t work just for myselfI also work for my country which is still a young country. What I learn over here I can bring back home.”
After having toured Europe frequently, Yulduz Usmanova enjoys a healthy reputation among Western audiences and media alike. Her European fanbase is strong enough to warrant a fanclub (Friends of Yulduz Usmanova, based in The Netherlands) and in 1998 she contributed to the annual Liberation Day festivities in Holland performing on national television her signature tune ‘Dunya’ to an audience that included the Dutch queen Beatrix.
Yulduz Usmanova’s album Yulduz one of her most ambitious. Recorded in Amsterdam over a six month period with Yulduz commuting between the studio and gigs in Central Asia, it captured her unique blend of maqam (the traditional court music of Uzbekistan) and pop. Her regular band and drummer Jeffrey Clemens back Yulduz. The album evokes an Eastern pop atmosphere with the mixture of Western electronics and traditional instruments like tanbur (the Uzbek version of the saz, a Turkish string instrument) and doira (percussion) makes for an exotic though contemporary sound that fits Yulduz’s emotive vocals. Guest appearances by the Family Factory who contribute their choral textures to six tracks further enhance the album’s appeal to an international audience. The Family Factory a South African choir of men and women who have recorded with Hugh Masekela. Their contribution affirms the truly globe-spanning character of Yulduz’s latest recordings. A special version of the album was released in Turkey one of Yulduz’s core-markets.
For her 2004 album Simply Yulduz, Yulduz went to Jamaica the country at the opposite side of the globe from Uzbek point of view and also musically the counterpart of Central Asian music. She worked with one of the greatest guitarists of Jamaica, Ernest Ranglin. The album was produced by Jah Wobble (former Public Image Limited)
Yulduz became an opposition member of parliament in Uzbekistan.
Discography:
Alma Alma (Blue Flame, 1993)
Jannona (Blue Flame, 1995)
Binafscha (Blue Flame, 1996)
Oqqan daryo oqaveradi (1999)
Yulduz (Double T Music, 1999)
Buncha go’zal bu hayot (2001)
Oshiqlik (2001)
Yoshligim, beboshligim (2002)
Mendan meni so’rama (2003)
О Любви (2003)
Men o’zimni topmasam (2004)
Yondiraman, yonaman (2005)
Ayol (2005)
Биё, Жонам (2005)
Faqat sabr tiladim (2006)
Kerak bo’lsa jonim fido (2007)
O’zbekiston — qanday bo’lsang shunday sevaman (2007)
Inadim (2008)
Dunya (2009)
Sen ham asra, ko’zmunchog’ingman (2009)
Tilimdan emas dilimdan (2010)
Kible Benim Kalbimde (2010)
Bir Şans Ver (2011)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
