The thought that we in Turkmenistan do not have music historians from among the national cadres haunted the young dutar player Charyyar Dzhumaev: the singing of our performers is known all over the world, the music of many composers too, but how can you tell about the art of bakhshi without being a bakhshi himself ? A student of the Institute of Arts thought about this for long nights, by coincidence one day he took a gagrytuiduk in his hands and has never parted with him until now. But let's talk about everything in order.
At the age of 3, Charyyar Dzhumaev lost his mother, his father remarried, and, possibly, on a very good woman, but could she really be compared with a real mother. One thing that pleased the teenager was the neighbor's girl Nurguzel, whom he really liked. Once, when they were in grade 10, the following conversation took place between them:
- I wish I could marry you.
- Why not?
- I have three older brothers, we have to wait until they start their own families.
- I'll wait as long as necessary.
And she waited for seven long years.
After graduating from the tenth grade in the Turkmenkala etrap, Charyyar Dzhumaev entered the State Music College named after A. D. Ovezov in dutar playing class. And once, already in his third year, he heard the play of Gagrytuidukist Baky Mashakov. Charyyar Dzhumaev was shocked, the sounds of this instrument fascinated him, and the brilliant performance of Baky Mashakov enhanced the effect of perception.
Charyyar Dzhumaev literally rushed to the musician with a request to learn how to play the gagrytuiduk, but received a categorical refusal. Baky Mashakov explained this by the fact that in the two remaining years of study at the school he would not be able to make a master out of a student. But speaking so, he did not know Charyyar Dzhumaev. The stubborn student put aside the dutar and took the gagrytuiduk in his hands. He learned several pieces and again turned to Baky Mashakov. “What a stubborn man! - the famous gagrytuidukist grumbled. - Well, come on, let's listen to what you have learned during this time. However, the acting of the persistent student changed his opinion: well, you will play in an ensemble”.
How Charyar Dzhumaev had enough time everything remains to be a riddle: classes at school, playing in the ensemble, night shifts, cooperation as a freelance correspondent in the newspaper Vecherniy Ashgabat, appearances on television. But he was stubborn, persistent, and most importantly, he succeeded in everything he undertook.
During this very busy period, Charyyar Dzhumaev married Nurguzel, but there was nowhere to take her to in Ashgabat, and there was nothing to live on. Baky Mashakov once again helped Charyyar. He offered a temporary hut without any conveniences, hoping that even a hut can be paradise for loving hearts, and also arranged for Nurguzel to go to a carpet factory. To support a family, one scholarship was not enough, and Charyar Dzhumaev went to work as a night watchman at the Institute of Eye Diseases, and while on duty he thought about music and wrote articles. The book “Turkmen Music” by A. Uspensky and A. Belyaev became his constant companion. It was then that he thought about the fact that there are no specialists in ethnomusicology among the Turkmens. This touched the heightened sense of justice of Charyar Dzhumaev and a desire arose to rectify the situation.
In 1977, the great Gagrytuiduk player Baky Mashakov passed away. Baky Mashakov was jewel, he did not know the notes, yet he played like God. His departure was an irreparable loss for the Turkmen people. And none other than Charyyar Dzhumaev headed the ensemble of Gagrytuidukists after his mentor.
After graduating from the Turkmen State Institute of Arts, Charyyar Dzhumaev teaches a class on gagrytuiduk and dutar at the music school named after. D. Ovezov and was closely engaged in science. In 1993 he successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis in Tashkent on the topic “Turkmen traditional instrumental music” and became a certified ethnomusicologist. This fact did not go unnoticed. Charyar Dzhumaev was awarded the title of “Honored Artist of Turkmenistan” and was transferred to teaching at the Turkmen National Conservatory.
And now Charyyar Dzhumaev acts not only as an instrumentalist, but also as an art scientist, having performed in 20 countries, such as Japan, England, Hungary, Cambodia, Turkey and others, which he visited with his gagrytuiduk. More than 300 articles on art history of Turkmen folk music were published under his name in different languages - Russian, English, Farsi, Turkish and, of course, in his native Turkmen language. With more than 30 reports he spoke at international conferences.
Charyyar Dzhumaev recalls a special case from his trips abroad. Once he brought toys and sweets to children as a gift.
“You see,” he says guiltily to Nurguzel, “there are no Turkmen scarves or panne velvet in Europe.”
- And all that is not necessary. The dearest gift for me is you.
On July 5th this year, Charyyar Dzhumaev became the owner of a doctoral thesis defense diploma on the topic “Turkmen folk music and performing style of the 19th century to our time.” Thanks to the policy of our President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the doctoral defense took place not somewhere abroad, but in Ashgabat! Positive feedback was received for this work from Poland, Japan - from our graduate student Haki Tomoya, who studied at the Turkmen National Conservatory in 1995-1997, Turkey and neighboring countries. Today Charyar Dzhumaev teaches at the conservatory at the department of Turkmen music in the class of gagrytuiduk, the history of performance, teaching methods. He is the scientific leader of three applicants, two of them being bakhshi. The dream of a student of a music school, to which he walked for many years, accumulating research skills, came true.
- So who are you, Charyyar Dzhumaevich - a practicing musician or a musician-historian?
- I am both a scientist and an artist! And I am also a happy family man, because my Nurguzel and I understand each other perfectly!
Tamara GLAZUNOVA
Photos by Yuri Shkurin
