Gaziz Al'mukhametov

Ğäziz Älmöxämmädev; Bashkir Cyrillic: Ғәзиз Сәлих улы Әлмөхәмәтов; Tatar Cyrillic: Газиз Салих улы Әлмөхәммәдев; Russian: Гази́з Сали́хович Альмухаме́дов, Gaziz Salikhovich Almukhamedov; 1895–1938) was an ethnic Bashkir, opera singer (tenor) and composer.

He was born in the village of Muraptal of Sterlitamaksky Uyezd of Ufa Governorate (now Kuyurgazinsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan).From 1922 to 1929, he lived in Kazan.

In collaboration with Vasili Vinogradov and Soltan Ğäbäşi, he composed the first Tatar operas, Saniä (1925) and Eşçe[1] (The Worker) (1930).

In Central Asia, Gaziz worked in the vineyards in the summer, and studied in the madrassah in winter, and was engaged in singing.

Gaziz began to be invited to amateur evenings, where he performed Bashkir and Tatar folk songs.

He is interested in folklore of eastern peoples, Bashkir and Tatar folk songs, their history, legends.

In the years 1922-1929. lives in Kazan, gives concerts, writes songs, works on operas with Sultan Gabyashi and V. I. Vinogradov.

In 1929, on the 10th anniversary of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Gaziz Almukhametov, in collaboration with Gabyashi and Vinogradov, wrote the solemn march "Bashkortostan."

At this congress, it was decided to award the singer the title of "People's Artist of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic."

In his concert trips and expeditions to collect folklore, Gaziz Salikhovich continued to search for new talents for the opera studio (he selected 25 out of 500 people) in the future they became masters (singers, musicians, composers).

Among them were singers Banu Valeeva, Khabir Galimov, Gabdrakhman Khabibullin, Zaituna Ilbaeva, Ulyana Kalinina-Syrtlanova, Asma Shaimuratova, Maryam Gabdrakhmanova, Muslima Musina, and composers Zagir Ismagilov and Khusain Akhmetov.

He recorded Bashkir folk songs “Ashkadar”, “Buranbai”, “Taftilyau”, “Ural”, an excerpt from the epic legend “Kungyr-buga” and others.

Almukhametov did not limit his repertoire to folk songs, classical romances and arias, but also created his own original things.

He was disturbed by the fact that young people were brought up in the spirit of disrespect for Bashkir folk songs.

Since 1936 he was an artist of the Directorate of Art under the Government of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and since July of that year he was the leader of a group of brigades.