Ortiq Otajonov

Ortiq Otajonov was born on 30 January 1947 in the Bog'ot district of the Khorezm region. He went to school in Bog'ot and Urgench, then studied in the rubab class of the Matyusuf Kharratov music school in Urgench, graduating in 1967. He learned the rubab from Ozod Ibrohimov and the art of national singing from Komiljon Otaniyozov.

From 1968 he worked as a singer in the Lazgi ensemble of the Uzbek State Philharmonia, and in 1982–1988 he was the ensemble's artistic director. In 1980 he graduated from the Tashkent Institute of Culture.

His repertoire included classical Khorezm songs — the Feruz suites, “Chapandozi Suvora”, “Kajhang Suvora”, “Xorazm Dugohi” — and his own compositions such as “Zebolanib kelibsiz”, “Ona diyorim”, “Xorazm farzandiman”, “Orol dardi”, “Ibiyay” and “Boshqacha”. He first performed “Umr o'tar”, with words by the poet Omon Matjon, on television on New Year's Eve 1981.

His performances were released on two gramophone records and are held in the Uzbek Radio phonotheque; a concert film titled “Ortiq Otajonov” was made for Uzbek television. He toured in countries of Asia, Europe, America and Australia.

On 8 November 1991 he was awarded the title People's Artist of Uzbekistan, the first time it was presented. In 1993 he became People's Artist of Karakalpakstan and of Turkmenistan. Ortiq Otajonov died in Tashkent on 17 May 2019, aged 72; in 2021 he was posthumously awarded the Order of Labour Glory (Mehnat shuhrati).