Sevara Nazarxon (or Севара Назархан) is an extremely popular contemporary Uzbek singer and composer. She sings both pop and Uzbek folk music, in Uzbek, Russian, and English, and her usual style combines both pop and folk. She is one of the most, if not definitely the most, successful and popular singers in the history of modern Uzbekistan.
Nazarxon was born in 1976 in Andizhan, a city in Uzbekistan’s east. Her parents were performers of Uzbek folk music and her mother was also a music teacher, so the musical path path was natural for her. Her mother gave her music lessons growing up. She enrolled in Uzbekistan’s State Conservatory in Tashkent and began performing, first jazz and then as the singer for the group Sideris, which didn’t gain traction despite being supported by Uzbek People’s Artist Mansur Tashmatov. It wasn’t until she began her solo career that she found success, singing and accompanying herself on the dutar, a traditional Central Asian instrument. She recorded her first album, Bahtimdan, independently, and it did well in Uzbekistan.
Oddly, her big break came when she met singer Peter Gabriel at a folk music festival: he invited her to record an album under his label in London. The album, Safe Journey (Yol Bolsin), was released in 2003 to fanfare. Through her connection to Gabriel, she was able to participate in a music tour that took her all over the world. In 2004 she was awarded Best Asian Artist at the BBC World Music Awards.
After that first album, she released six more albums, including two in Russian and one recording of an oratorio, Maria Magdalena, by Peeter Vähi, along with the State Choir of Latvia and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. Other highlights of her career include her participation in the Russian TV show Voice (Голос), which made her wildly popular among Russian audiences, and her inclusion on the collection Hits of the Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 (Хиты Олимпийских игр Сочи 2014) for her song “Victory (Sochi 2014).” She is currently working on a new album.
While Nazarkhan is best known as a singer of pop fused with Uzbek traditional music, she experiments with other styles as well, including jazz, soul, and rock.
“Ulug’imsan Vatanim”:
Lyrics for “Ulug’imsan Vatanim”:
Muhammad Yusuf she’ri
Men dunyoni nima qildim,
O’zing yorug’ jahonim,
O’zimga bek,
O’zim sulton,
Sen taxti Sulaymonim,
Yolg’izim,
Yagonam deymi,
Topingan koshonam deymi,
O’zing mening ulug’lardan
Ulug’imsan.
Sen Ho’jandsan,
Chingizlarga
Darvozasin ochmagan,
Temur Malik orqasidan
Sirdaryoga sakragan,
Muqannasan qorachig’i
Olovlarga sachragan,
Shiroqlarni ko’rgan cho’pon
Cho’lig’imsan, Vatanim.
Shodon kunim gul otgan sen,
Nolon kunim yupatgan sen,
Yuzing bosib yuzimga.
Singlim deymi,
Onammi,
Ilig’imsan, Vatanim, o’zingsan,
Sen – shoxlari osmonlarga
Tegib turgan chinorim,
Ota desam,
Qizim deb,
Bosh egib turgan o’zing,
Ulug’imsan, VATANIM !
Kim Qashqarni qildi makon,
Kim Enasoy tomonda,
Jaloliddin – Qurdistonda,
Boburing – Hindistonda,
Bu qanday yuz qarolig’ deb
Yotarlar zimistonda,
Tarqab ketgan to’qson olti
Urug’imsan, Vatanim…
Qizim desa osmonlarga
G’irot bo’lib uchgayman,
Chambil yurtda Alpomishga
Qayliq bo’lib tushgayman,
Padarkushdan pana qilib
Ulug’beging quchgayman,
G’ichir-g’ichir tishimdagi
So’lig’imsan, Vatanim…
Shodon kunim gul otgan sen,
Nolon kunim yupatgan sen,
Yuzing bosib yuzimga.
Singlim deymi,
Onammi,
Ilig’imsan, Vatanim, o’zingsan,
Sen – shoxlari osmonlarga
Tegib turgan chinorim,
Ota desam,
Qizim deb,
Bosh egib turgan o’zing,
Ulug’imsan, VATANIM!
Shodon kunim gul otgan sen,
Nolon kunim yupatgan sen,
Yuzing bosib yuzimga.
Singlim deymi,
Onammi,
Oftobimsan, Vatanim, o’zingsan,
Sen – shoxlari osmonlarga
Tegib turgan chinorim,
Ota desam,
Qizim deb,
Bosh egib turgan o’zing,
Ulug’imsan, VATANIM !
“I’m Not There” (“Там нет меня”):
Lyrics for “Там нет меня”:
Там нет меня,
Где на песке не пролегли твои следы,
Где птица белая в тоске,
Где птица белая в тоске кричит у пенистой воды.
Я только там,
Где звук дрожит у губ желанной пристани
И где глаза твои стрижи,
И где глаза твои стрижи скользят по небу пристально.
Там не меня,
Где дым волос не затуманит белый день,
Где сосны от янтарных слез,
Где сосны от янтарных слез утрет заботливый олень.
Я только там,
Где ты порой на дверь глядишь с надеждою,
И как ребенок с детворой,
И как ребенок с детворой ты лепишь бабу снежную.
Там нет меня,
Где пароход в ночи надрывно прогудел,
Где понимает небосвод,
Где понимает небосвод, что без тебя осиротел.
Я только там,
Где нет меня — вокруг тебя невидимый.
Ты знаешь, без тебя и дня,
Ты знаешь, без тебя и дня прожить нельзя мне видимо.
Я только там,
Где нет меня — вокруг тебя невидимый.
Ты знаешь, без тебя и дня,
Ты знаешь, без тебя и дня прожить нельзя мне видимо.
