Otabek Muhammadzohid

Otabek Muhammadzohid (real name Otabek Mamazoitov) was born in 1974 in the Fergana region. He is a pop singer, composer and poet who works in the maqom, ashula and estrada genres.

He first learned the doira and accordion, studied the rubab at a children's music and art school in Fergana, and then studied at Fergana State University under Tavakkal Qodirov. In 1992 he was chosen to study in Turkey: he spent a year learning Turkish in Kayseri, then two years studying piano and oud at Selçuk University in Konya.

He began his stage career in 1995 with the song “Meni unutma”; “Besh kunlik dunyo” (1997) and “Malla soch” (1998) were among his first well-known songs. He wrote the music of many of his songs and the words of some.

He gave his first solo concert in 2008 and in June 2014 presented a live-performance concert at the Istiqlol Palace of Arts in Tashkent; the same year he took part in the “Turkcha nigoh” international festival in Denizli, Turkey. In 2021 it was reported that he had been appointed head of the Fergana regional branch of the Uzbekistan State Philharmonic.

By a presidential decree of 28 May 2026 he was awarded the honorary title Honoured Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The awards were presented on 29 May.