Nobovar Chanorov (, ; born 25 December 1970) is a
Pamirian singer of the
Shams group. The Shams and Nobovar Chanorov are known as
Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
of Northern Badakhshan.
Created in 1995, Shams is today one of the best groups of
Rock and Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
in
Tajikistan
Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...
. This group of 7 musicians between 25 and 40 years, originating in
Pamir, is the most known group since their first concert in
Almaty
Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
. A month before the peace agreement of civil war was signed in Tajikistan, the group has returned to Dushanbe. The musicians of the group change regularly and Shams of today is known especially thanks to its singer Nobovar Chanorov and his guitarist
Iqbol Zavqibekov. Up to now the group has produced 4 albums.
Shams is also known in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, in
Uzbekistan
, image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
, image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg
, symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem
, national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
, in
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
.
In 2002 he performed at the
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held on the National Mall for two weeks around the Fo ...
, as part of an ensemble performing
Badakhshani music alongside
Ulfatmo Mamadambarova
Ulfatmo Mamadambarova, in Tajik: Улфатмо Мамадамбарова (10 March 1937, Khorog - 4 May 2024, Khorog) was a Pamirian singer from Gorno-Badakhshan, an autonomous region of Tajikistan, whose contributions to music meant that she ...
and others.
Life and education
Nobovar was born in Komsomolobod in the Rasht valley of Tajikistan. His parents are originally from Dehrushan village of Rushan District of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, in the Pamirs. Himself being a Rushani speaker (one of the many Pamiri languages), he sings mostly in Tajiki and Rushani. However, he sings individual songs in Spanish, English and Russian.
Nobovar has spent his childhood and schooling years in the home village of his parents - Dehrushan. He started his singing from early years. As part of his family tradition, he started playing rubab (the traditional local musical instrument) and accordion and singing maddoh (traditional motives for prays of god) and pop-songs. His father, seeing his talent, gave him to the local musical school which he attended after his formal school at certain days of the week.
As most of his youth days were spent playing different musical instruments and singing different types of traditional and pop-songs, this took him to the doors of the Institute of Arts in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. However, he graduated as an actor of drama rather than singer or musician. Nevertheless, he has maintained his commitment to and love of singing.
The band "Shams" of which Nobovar is the lead singer has celebrated their 10th anniversary in Kokhi Borbad in Dushanbe in early 2010. "Shams" is known through Nobovar though there are talented musicians in the band some of whom went for professional development trips abroad.
Today, Nobovar is one of the elite musicians of Tajikistan and arguably the best singer of the Pamirs in his own right and style.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanorov, Nobovar
1970 births
Living people
20th-century Tajikistani male singers
People from Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region
Pamiri people
21st-century Tajikistani male singers