Fatima Kuinova

Fatima Kuinova
Fatima Kuinova
	Kuinova in 2009
Background information
Born	28 December 1926; Samarqand, Uzbek SSR
Origin	Stalinabad, Tajik SSR
Died	28 December 2021 (aged 95); Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Shashmakom
Occupation	Singer

Panir Ibragimova (28 December 1926 – 28 December 2021), better known by the stage name of Fatima Kuinova (Tajik: Фатима Куэнова, Persian: فاطمه کوینوا), was a Bukharan Jewish Shashmakom singer. She was named "Merited Artist of the Soviet Union".^[1]

Biography

Kuinova was born in Samarqand, Uzbek SSR on 28 December 1926.^[2]^[3] She moved to Stalinabad, Tajik SSR with her seven brothers and two sisters when she was thirteen years old, after their father was jailed and murdered by the Soviet government for his mercantile prosperity. Her family were Bukharian Jews, and their last name was originally Cohen, but she changed it to Kuinova to escape the persecution Jews faced under Stalin.^[4] During her childhood, she knew the famous Mullojonov family and was a friend to Shoista Mullojonova. Kuinova was raised in Central Asia under Stalin's Soviet regime and spoke Russian, but she also learned Bukhori, which is a dialect of Persian. Her father was the cantor of a synagogue in her hometown and taught his daughter the music of her Bukharian Jewish heritage.

Life and career

Kuinova began singing in different festivals at a young age.^{[clarification needed]} She also sang for Joseph Stalin, who was likely ignorant of her Jewish faith and ethnicity.^[4]^[5]

Kuinova became famous after performing for the soldiers during World War II. In 1948, she was named "Honored Artist of the Soviet Union".^[6] After that, she began to study Shashmakom music and sang it throughout the Soviet Union and Central Asia. Kuinova became the lead singer of the Tajik State Philharmonic, with long-time friend Shoista Mullojonova. The two were widely recognized in the republic and were some of the Soviet Union's leading traditional performers.^[5] Both Kuinova and Mullojonova were soloists in the Tajik Ensemble "Rubobistok" that performed on television and radio throughout the Tajik SSR, Central Asia and the USSR 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.^{[citation needed]}

She immigrated to Queens, New York, U.S. in 1980,^[4] and settled in Rego Park, where she founded and was the lead vocalist for the Shashmaqam Music of the Bukharan Jews Ensemble.^[7]^[8] In 1992, Kuinova was a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship award, given by the National Endowment for the Arts.^[9] In Queens, Kuinova worked with the Bukharian Jewish musical community and performed in numerous cultural and folk events in New York City.^[10]

Kuinova died in Queens on 28 December 2021, her 95th birthday.^[11]

References

^ Orleck, Annelise (1999). The Soviet Jewish Americans. The New Americans. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 196. ISBN 9780313300745. OCLC 39045169.
^ Chan, Ying (10 May 1992). "2 Emigres Win Grants". Daily News. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
^ "Panir Ibragimova". U.S., Public Records Index, 1950–1993, Volume 2. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Govenar, Alan (2001). "Fatima Kuinova: Jewish American Singer (Bukharan)". Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 2 (K-Z). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio. pp. 352–354. ISBN 1576072401. OCLC 47644303.
^ ^a ^b Pareles, Jon (January 1, 1988). "Music From A Crossroads Of Cultures". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
^ "Fatima Kuinova: Bukharan Jewish Singer". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
^ "Shashmaqam". www.folkways.si.edu. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
^ Video on YouTube
^ "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1992". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
^ Video on YouTube
^ "Fatima Kuinova". Forever Missed. Retrieved 4 January 2022.