This year marks the 190th anniversary of the famous Shukur bakhshi, who turned his name in legend, and glorified the Turkmen music. Shukur Dovat ogly, who died in 1931 at the age of one hundred, lives in the memory of the Turkmen people. The book of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov repeatedly referred to the image of Shukurf Bakhshi and described the significance of the event, which took place 150 years ago, in 1871.
That year his brother was taken prisoner by the servants of the Iranian khan and thrown into prison. The villagers did not leave him alone when his beloved musician's brother was released from prison. Usually in such cases the problem was solved by ransom, collecting money, or the armed nukers attacked the khan. Shukur did not want to aggravate the already tight situation of his compatriots, he also did not want an armed conflict that could bring causalities. He said he would go to the Iranian khan with his dutar without a weapon to save his brother.
While this decision may seem strange at first glance, it has become a historic event for both Turkmen music and Shukur Bakhshi. As noted in the book «Music of Peace, Music of Friendship and Brotherhood», Shukur Bakhshi, armed with a dutar, goes to the enemy to talk, agree, find a language, not to fight, not to win.
He could do it. Such an act raises Shukur to a higher and more respectable level and elevates him above other bakhshi masters. Shukur's decision in this regard and his image are also considered excellent examples of diplomacy in the organization of international relations. Based on this story, the well-known Turkmen writer Nurmyrat Sarykhanov writes the story «Shukur Bakhshi». Movie director Bulat Mansurov made a movie of the same name.
The first teacher of Shukur Bakhshi, who was born in the village of Dushak in Kaka district and spent his entire life in this village, was Aly bakhshi, the son of Gara shahyr. (Gara shahyr, who was from saryk tribes, wrote the famous poem about Maru-shahu-Jahan «Seniň üstüňde»). There are also reports that in addition to mentoring Aly bakhshi, who remained childless at the end of his life, he began to be considered a father to Shukur.
The famous Karadali Goklen also contributed to the attainment of perfection of Shukur. The mentor Garadali liked the game of young musician. Shukur lived in mentor’s house for 40-50 days and sharpened his skills. Probably it was Garadali Goklen, who grafted the silver fretboard to the black encrusted dutar which was the satellite for life of Shukur.
Shukur, who achieved perfection, with his black encrusted dutar, had attended many festive in Geokdepe, Baherden, Saragt, Tejen of Ahal region, Garrygala, Gyzyletrek districts of the Balkan region, Mary region, and in Khiva. He was a frequent guest at noisy meetings of bakhshi at the famous Mary's chaihana "Yolbars". Dozens of bakhshi musicians, trained and blessed by Shukur bakhshi, have gained popularity and created their own broad ways of mentoring.
As the sages say, the miracle is not in the art, it is in the artist. With his skill, wisdom, and immense courage he was able to free his brother and several of his compatriots from captivity. He was the first to pass peacefully, with a dutar in his hands on the dangerous roads that had passed before him on horseback, with a gun in their hand. Shukar Dovlat oglu is truly a national hero who showed the world the miracle of the Turkmen «gara gazma» dutar.
