Rayhon

Rayhon (full name Rayhon Otabekovna Ganiyeva) was born on 16 September 1978 in Tashkent. As a child she learned the piano at a children's music school and, while still at school, performed with a symphony orchestra as a piano soloist. She later graduated from the Uzbekistan State Institute of World Languages (now a university) with a degree in English philology.

In her third year of study she formed a duo called Xayol (“Thought”); her professional career began in 1999, and she has performed as a solo singer since 2000. “Azoblaysan”, recorded for the musical film “Tohir va Zuhra yangi talqin” (2000), was one of her first hits; she also played Zuhra in the film. Her first album, “Sensiz”, came out in 2001.

Wide recognition came in 2002 with the song “Baxtli bo'laman” and the album of the same name: that year she gave her first large concert at the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre and received the Nihol award, and in 2003 “Baxtli bo'laman” won the Tarona award for Album of the Year. The years 2002–2012 were her most productive period, with songs and albums such as “Faqat muhabbat”, “Yodingdami?”, “Sog'indim”, “Doimo”, “Tabassum qil” and “Sevaveraman”. Her later albums include “Sevgi... bu nima?” (2012), “Oyijon” (2013), “Izlama” (2015) and “Tomchi” (2018). She has recorded duets with Manzura, Lola Yo'ldosheva, Munisa Rizayeva, the group Bojalar and others.

In 2007 she played the lead role, Samira, in the film “Kechir” (“Forgive Me”), took part in writing its screenplay and sang the title song. She has also appeared in other musical and feature films, among them “Voy dod sumalak”, “Yangi yil parisi”, “Ada emas, dada! Tohir va Zuhra 2 yangi talqin” and “G'aroyib orzular”.

Rayhon holds the title of Honored Artist of Uzbekistan (2005). In January 2024 she gave a three-night solo concert at the Friendship of Peoples Palace of Arts in Tashkent, and in January 2026 she performed there again with a four-day show. In recent years she has released the songs and videos “Yomg'irlar” (2024) and “Dil poralar” (2026).