[2][3] She moved to Stalinabad, Tajik SSR with her seven brothers and two sisters when she was thirteen years old, after their father was jailed and murdered by the Soviet government for his mercantile prosperity.

Her family's last name was originally Cohen, but she changed it to Kuinova to escape the persecution Jews faced under Stalin.

Kuinova became the lead singer of the Tajik State Philharmonic, with long-time friend Shoista Mullojonova.

[citation needed] She immigrated to Queens, New York, U.S. in 1980,[4] and settled in Rego Park, where she founded and was the lead vocalist for the Shashmaqam Music of the Bukharan Jews Ensemble.

[9] In Queens, Kuinova worked with the Bukharian Jewish musical community and performed in numerous cultural and folk events in New York City.