On 1 January, 1911 in Mulk-Yusup village of Vekilbazar etrap of Mary velyat was born a kid, who was named Danatar. Then it never occurred to anyone that a music is in heart of this child. When Danatar was 8-years-old he lost his father and together with two sisters – Ogulgerek and Amansoltan – he moved to live to the uncle’s house. Allamerdan, Danatar’s uncle, was very good tuyduk player and often in the evenings dutar, gijak, tuyduk sounded in his home. It was some kind of music school for the gifted boy.

The home-folks often invited Allamerdan to weddings and toys (holidays), and nephew was always with him. Once, during one of the feasts he heard a play of Garly bakhshi, whose performance charmed the boy. Garly bakhshi talked about the famous masters, such as Durdy bakhshi, Veyran bakhshi, Jepbar bakhshi and others during the conversations. “if only I could hear them play at least once “- dreamed the charmed boy.

At the age of 11, Danatar Ovezov for the first time, having left his native village, arrived for several time to Mary. Of course, the village boy was struck by houses, city streets, squares. But most of all he was impressed by the play of the musicians of the brass band, who performed unfamiliar melodies on the square. These were completely different sounds, completely unlike the sounds of dutar or tuyduk. The boy looked at the musicians with all his eyes, passionately dreaming of being in their place.

After this trip, Danatar Ovezov decided at all costs to move to Mary. And solution was found. In 1924 sisters and he were sent to a children's home of Mary city. And one year later he entered the Tashkent polygraphic college. And it’s nothing that the professional direction of the technical school was far from his cherished dream of becoming a musician. The main thing is that the technical school had its own student brass band. Danatar Ovezov did not miss rehearsals, and after six months he learned to play the baritone several etudes and marches. “Composer” - this is how the students called Danatar Ovezov for their perseverance and talent. If they could have guessed how exactly this playful nickname corresponded to the true purpose of Danatar Ovezov!

In 1934, after graduating from the college, Danatar Ovezov moved to Ashgabat and got a job at the pedagogical technical school as the head of a brass band. It would seem that finally his dream came true and he became a musician. But in 1938, the Azerbaijan Music and Drama Theater opened in Ashgabat, on the stage of which three operas by Uzeir Gajibekov were shown: “Asly and Kerem”, «”Leyli and Mejnun”, “ Kor Ogly”. Danatar Ovezov missed a single one. Acquaintance with high-pitched vocals shocked the young man to the core. “Why doesn't he create a Turkmen opera himself?” - this thought haunted. But he perfectly understood that without a special musical education there was nothing to even dream about.

In 1940 he entered Leningrad State Conservatory and in a short time he masters harmony and polyphony. He opens to his teacher N.A. Timofeev's cherished dream of creating a Turkmen opera. And Nikolai Andreevich goes to meet his student: the two of them began to compose the opera "Seydi". However, this was the time when marches and patriotic songs became more relevant than other works, so work on the opera was suspended.

In 1941 the Theater of Opera and Ballet was opened in Ashgabat, Danatar Ovezov was assigned as an orchestra conductor. The studies at the conservatory had to be interrupted, and the opera "Seyidi" remained unfinished. However, together with Adrian Shaposhnikov, Danatar Ovezov began work on the creation of the opera "Shasenem and Garib", in 1944, in co-authorship with Yuli Meitus, he began writing the opera "Leili and Mejnun". And again, Danatar Ovezov's dream came true: the premiere of the opera was a great success. And that means being a Turkmen opera!

And nevertheless, discerning to himself and others, despite the overwhelming success, Danatar Ovezov enters the conservatory again, and this time –the Moscow conservatory. It was the time of the peak of his creativity. With Adrian Shaposhnikov they are working on the opera “Ayna”. In 1957, this opera was staged in the Makhtumkuli Turkmen State Theater of Opera and Ballet.

It should be noted that the first Turkmen composer had enormous vision problems for a long time. But thanks to the strength of will and the support of loved ones, he courageously overcame this ailment, without ceasing to do what he loved.

Danatar Ovezov is the author of four opera, more than 100 songs and as much as that composition for choir, and of several works for orchestra as well. For 8 years he headed the Union of composers of Turkmenistan. For his great achievements in culture, Danatar Ovezov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. He was awarded a title of the People’s Artist of Turkmenistan. And already posthumously he becomes the laureate of the Makhtumkuli Prize.

Today the works of the composition corypheus are at a premium of the countrymen. the heroes of his operas, sung by best voices of the country, inspirit on stage of the Makhtumkuli Turkmen Musical and Drama Theatre. Vocalists and choirs perform songs of Danatar Ovezov, musicians – his famous cantates и дand other compositions.

Name of Danatar Ovezov was assigned to the Turkmen State Nusic college at the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kulieva. He is an inspirational person for the new generation of students, who twisted fortune with music.

Tamara Glazunova