Muslim Magomayev (musician)

For other people named Muslim Magomayev, see Muslim Magomayev (disambiguation).

Muslim Muhammad oghlu Magomayev (Azerbaijani: Müslüm Məhəmməd oğlu Maqomayev / Мүслүм Мәһәммәд оғлу Магомајев^[a]) or Muslim Magometovich Magomayev (Russian: Муслим Магометович Магомаев^[b]; 17 August 1942 – 25 October 2008), known simply as Muslim Magomayev and dubbed the "Soviet Sinatra",^[1] was a Soviet, Azerbaijani and Russian opera and pop singer.^[2] He achieved iconic status in Russia and the post-Soviet countries for his vocal talent and charisma.^[3] People's Artist of the USSR (1973^[4]).

Muslim Magomayev
Муслим Магомаев
Born	Muslim Muhammad oghlu Magomayev (1942-08-17)17 August 1942 Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Died	25 October 2008(2008-10-25) (aged 66) Moscow, Russia
Resting place	Alley of Honor, Baku, Azerbaijan
Occupation(s)	Singer, composer, actor
Years active	1962-2008
Title	People's Artist of the USSR (1973)
Spouse(s)	Ofelia Veliyeva ​ ​ (m. 1960⁠–⁠1961)​ Tamara Sinyavskaya ​ ​ (m. 1974⁠–⁠2008)​
Children	1
Relatives	Muslim Magomayev (paternal grandfather)
Awards	Istiglal Order (Azerbaijan) Shohrat Order (Azerbaijan) Order of Honour (Russia) Order of the Red Banner of Labour (USSR) Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)
Musical career
Genres	Pop Operatic pop Opera
Instrument(s)	Vocals Piano
Signature

Early life

Muslim Magomayev represented one of the most respected artistic dynasties in Azerbaijan. His grandfather Muslim Magomayev (1885–1937), a friend and contemporary of the prominent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, was one of the founders of modern Azerbaijani classical music. Magomayev's father, Mahammad Magomayev, who died two days prior to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II while serving as a soldier in the Soviet Army, was a gifted scenic designer; and his mother, Aishet Kinzhalova, was an actress, who deserted him with his grandmother when he was less than a year old.^[5] Magomayev's father was of mixed origin whose parents moved to Azerbaijan from Chechnya and Georgia respectively, whereas his Adygea-born mother was paternally of Turkish origin and maternally of Adyghe and Russian descent.^[6] However, when asked about his ethnicity, Magomayev considered himself Azerbaijani.^[7]

Abandoned by his mother after his father's death, Magomayev was raised by his paternal grandmother. He learned to play the piano as a child, and began to take voice lessons at the age of 14. As a teenager, he became interested in Italian songs, American jazz, and other styles of popular music. He majored in piano and composition at the Baku Academy of Music.^[5]

Musical career

 

Cavatina di Figaro

Largo al factotum, an aria from The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini

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"Luch solntsa zolotovo"

The troubadour's serenade from On the Trail of the Bremen Town Musicians, a Soviet animation musical cartoon. Music by Gennady Gladkov

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He was 19 when he first performed at an international youth music festival in Helsinki.^[5] His performance was noted by Yekaterina Furtseva, then Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union, who offered him to be a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre. Magomayev declined the offer.^[8] In 1962, at the age of 20, Magomayev first appeared in Moscow where he performed during the Days of Azerbaijani Culture.^[5] He sang an aria from Gounod’s Faust, and the song "Do the Russians Want War?" in a gala concert at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, and became a celebrity on the spot.^[5] He recorded three songs with Azerbaijani composer Asya Sultanova. A year later, he gave his first solo concert in the Moscow Tchaikovsky Concert Hall to a full house and became a soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. Muslim earned fame in the USSR as an opera singer with his performance in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville". He also became known for his arias from Puccini's "Tosca", Hajibeyov's "Koroghlu" and "Shah Ismayil", which was composed by his grandfather.^[9]

In 1964 and 1965, Muslim was a visiting artist at La Scala in Milan, but turned down the invitation to sing in the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre upon his return. Instead, the singer turned to popular music, becoming a cult figure of soviet estrada for several generations of music lovers in the Soviet Union. Muslim Magomayev's popularity in the USSR was overwhelming. He used to gave three concerts a day filling huge arenas all across the Soviet Union, while his albums sold millions.

In 1966 and 1969, Magomayev performed in Olympia with great success. The director of Olympia Bruno Coquatrix offered him a contract, and Magomayev was seriously considering an opportunity to pursue an international career, but Yekaterina Furtseva refused to grant the Ministry of Culture's permission, claiming that it needed Magomayev to perform at government concerts. In 1969, he received the Midem Gold Disc Award in Cannes for album sales of over 4.5 million units. In 1973, at the age of 31, Muslim was awarded the Soviet Union's highest artistic title: People's Artist of the USSR.^[10]

Magomayev moved to Moscow in the early 1970s. He became the art director of the Azerbaijan State Bandstand-Symphonic Orchestra in 1975 and toured in Italy, France, Bulgaria, Finland, Canada, United States, Cuba and other countries.

Magomayev was also known as a composer, writing several film soundtracks and songs. In addition, Magomayev acted in films and hosted television and radio broadcasts devoted to prominent musicians of the 20th century.

Magomayev was an influence on many important Soviet musical figures including Alla Pugacheva, who often spoke fondly of him.^[11]

Personal life

Magomayev married when he was 19, to Ofelia Veliyeva, but the union did not last a year.^[5] His daughter from that first marriage, Marina,^[12] lives in the United States.^[5] He eventually remarried, this time to the opera singer Tamara Sinyavskaya.^[5]

In later life, Magomayev struggled with a serious heart condition.^[5]

Later years

 

Magomayev on a postage stamp of Azerbaijan

In the early 2000s, Magomayev officially stopped his musical career and gave only a few performances, together with his wife. He died on 25 October 2008 in his flat in Moscow from a heart attack.^[13][14] He was buried in the Alley of Honor in his native city of Baku, next to his grandfather, on 29 October.^[15][16] The funeral ceremony was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Magomayev's widow Tamara Sinyavskaya, his daughter Marina, as well as state officials and international delegations.^[12] Thousands of people came to pay a final tribute to the singer.^[12][17]

Honors and awards

Orders

•   Istiglal Order (Azerbaijan, 2002)
•   Shohrat Order (Azerbaijan, 1997)
•   Order of Honour (Russia, 2002)
•   Order of the Red Banner of Labour (USSR, 1971)
•   Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR, 1980)

Titles

• People's Artist of the USSR (1973) ^[18]
• People's Artist of Azerbaijan SSR (1964)
• Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan SSR (1971)
• Honoured Artist of Chechen-Ingush ASSR

Awards

•   Miner's Glory Medal 3rd degree
•   Badge «For services to the Polish culture»

In 1997, a minor planet of the Solar System, 4980 Magomaev, was named in his honor.^[15]

Popular songs

• "Azerbaijan" ("Azərbaycan")
• "Blagodaryu tebya" ("Благодарю тебя") – Grateful to You
• "Chyortovo koleso" ("Чёртово колесо") – Ferris wheel
• "Golubaya tayga" ("Голубая тайга") – Blue Taiga
• "Koroleva krasoty" ("Королева красоты") – The Queen of the Beauty
• "Luch solntsa zolotovo" ("Луч солнца золотого") – Sunbeam of the Golden Sun
• "Luchshy gorod Zemli" ("Лучший город Земли") – The Best City on Earth
• "Melodia" ("Мелодия") – Melody
• "Nam ne zhit drug bez druga" ("Нам не жить друг без друга") – We Can't Live Without One Another
• "Ne speshi" ("Не спеши") – Don't Rush
• "Noktyurn" ("Ноктюрн") – Nocturne
• "Serdtse na snegu" ("Сердце на снегу") – Heart on the Snow
• "Solntsem opyanyonnyy" ("Солнцем опьянённый") – Intoxicated by the Sun
• "Sinyaya vechnost" ("Синяя вечность") – Blue Eternity
• "Svadba" ("Свадьба") – Wedding
• "Vdol po Piterskoy" ("Вдоль по Питерской") – Down the Peterskaya Road
• "Verni mne muziku" (""Верни мне музыку") – Return the Music to Me

See also

• Monument to Muslim Magomayev

Notes

1. pronounced [myˈslym mæˈhæmːæt oɣˈlu mɑɡoˈmɑjef]
2. pronounced [mʊˈslʲim məɡɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ məɡɐˈmajɪf]

References

1. . The Standard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
2. Opera singer Magomayev dies at age 66. UPI. 25 October 2008.
3. После тяжeлой болезни ушeл из жизни легендарный певец Муслим Магомаев [After a serious illness legendary singer Muslim Magomayev dies]. Channel One (Russia). 25 October 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
4. "Поздравляем с Днем рождения Заслуженного деятеля искусств, композитора Асю Султанову - Федеральная национально-культурная автономия азербайджанцев России" (in Russian). 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
5. "Muslim Magomayev: popular singer known as the "Soviet Sinatra"". Times Online. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
6. Муслим Магомаев "Любовь моя — мелодия" (PDF). magomaev.info (in Russian). 1999. p. 17. Retrieved 24 June 2012. Броская внешность матери, ее одаренность, видимо, в большой степени оттого, что в ней намешано много кровей: ее отец был турок, мать — наполовину адыгейка, наполовину русская... Сама она из Майкопа, а театральное образование получила в Нальчике. Много лет спустя я встретил там одного старого актера, который сказал мне, что учился вместе с моей матерью. Когда я рассказал ей об этой встрече, она вспомнила его.
7. Дмитрий Гордон (28 October 2008). [Muslim Magomayev: "Many times me and Tamara tried to separate, but Aliyev - wise guy! - said: "Look! If you made a mistake when you married, do not take a second, before hastily divorcing"]. Газета «Бульвар Гордона» № 44 (184) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
8. Tamara Sinyavskaya in Heart on Snow 2012-09-21 at the Wayback Machine (documentary film). Retrieved 18 August 2012.
9. Aida Huseinova (Autumn 2002). "Muslim Magomayev Celebrates 60th Jubilee". Vol. 10, no. 3. p. 20.
10. "Legendary Singer Muslim Magomaev Passes Away". 25 October 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
11. Пугачёва стала певицей из любви к Магомаеву [Pugacheva became a singer due to love for Magomayev]. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
12. Муслима Магомаева похоронили рядом с дедом [Muslim Magomayev was buried next to his grandfather]. Komsomolskaya Pravda. 30 October 2008.
13. . Caucasian Knot. 25 October 2008. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
14. . APA. 25 October 2008. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
15. "Soviet-era pop star Magomayev buried in Azerbaijan". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
16. "az:Müslüm Maqomayev Fəxri Xiyabanda dəfn edildi" [Muslim Magomayev was buried in honor of Ziyabanda] (in Azerbaijani). 29 October 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
17. . 29 October 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
18. Музыкальная энциклопедия. Гл. ред. Ю. В. Келдыш. Т 3. Корто — Октоль. 1104 стб. с илл. М.: Советская энциклопедия, 1976 - Soviet Encyclopedia

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muslim Magomayev.

• Times Online Obituary. Muslim Magomaev: popular singer known as the "Soviet Sinatra".
• Muslim Magomaev's website
• Muslim Magomaev at IMDb
• Muslim Magomaev on YouTube
• "The Show Must Go On: Memories of Accompanying Azerbaijan's Greatest Singers," By Chingiz Sadikhov, in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 10:3 (Autumn 2002), pp. 60–63.
• Muslim Magomayev discography at Discogs