The Masters of the Khorezm Bakhshi Tradition
Keywords:
Ancient Khorezm, culture, art, epic poetry, the art of bakhshi performance, “Qubbai Hofiza, musician, dutar, mulberry tree, “Nihol” AwardAbstract
This scholarly article examines the Khorezm school of epic storytelling and the distinctive features of the Khorezm bakhshi (epic bard) tradition that differentiate it from the epic storytelling traditions of other regions of Uzbekistan. It explores the artistic careers of two prominent masters of the Khorezm bakhshi tradition Qurbonnazar Abdullayev (Bola Bakhshi) and Ro‘zimboy Normatov (Qalandar Bakhshi) highlighting their contributions to the development of epic performance. The article also discusses the achievements and enduring legacy of the Khorezm bakhshi dynasties in preserving and enriching the national epic heritage. Furthermore, it outlines the increasing attention and support that the Government of Uzbekistan has devoted to safeguarding and promoting the art of bakhshi performance in recent years.
References
[1] Sh. Mirziyoyev, “Address of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the participants of the IV International Bakhshi Art Festival,” Republic of Uzbekistan.
[2] “Guliston,” Guliston Magazine, no. 7, p. 26, 1975.
[3] “Baxshichilik san’ati: qadimiy an’analar va zamonaviy taraqqiyot,” Yangi O‘zbekiston, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Apr. 2022.
[4] F. Tangriberganova, “The magic of epics [Dostonlar sehri],” Xorazm Haqiqati, Nov. 22, 2003.
[5] E. Baxt, The Song of the Firebird [Olov Qush Qo‘shig‘i]. Urganch, Uzbekistan: Khorezm Youth Publishing House, 2022.
[6] Scientific Popular and Documentary Film Studio of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Qalandar Bakhshi, E. Mamedov, Director and Cinematographer, documentary film, Uzbekistan, 2013.
[7] K. Reichl, Turkic Oral Epic Poetry: Traditions, Forms, Poetic Structure. New York, NY, USA: Garland Publishing, 1992.
[8] K. Reichl, Singing the Past: Turkic and Medieval Heroic Poetry. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell University Press, 2000.
[9] K. Reichl, Ed., The Oral Epic: Performance and Music. Berlin, Germany: VWB-Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung, 2000.
[10] N. K. Chadwick and V. Zhirmunsky, Oral Epics of Central Asia. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1969.
[11] H. B. Paksoy, Alpamysh: Central Asian Identity under Russian Rule. Hartford, CT, USA: Association for the Advancement of Central Asian Research, 1989.
[12] T. Zarcone and A. Buehler, Eds., The Bektashi Order of Dervishes. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2015.
[13] UNESCO, “Art of Bakhshi,” Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Paris, France: UNESCO, 2021.
[14] UNESCO, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Paris, France: UNESCO, 2003.
[15] G. P. Snesarev, Remnants of Pre-Islamic Beliefs and Rituals among the Khorezm Uzbeks. Berlin, Germany: Klaus Schwarz Verlag, 2003.
