Sultan Magomed - Compilation - 128kb

In 2002, with war and mass killing raging in Chechnya, I sat in my student room at Moscow University, like a "nation enemy" of Russia, burning incense and with a Chechen CD in my hand. 

Then, I played it for the first time.

While "pop bores" recall where they first heard "Stairway to Heaven", or "Smells Like Teen Spirit", or "Song to the Siren", the memory of pressing the Play button at Moscow State University is as fresh today as if it had been yesterday.

Prepare yourself for a musical feast unlike anything you have ever heard!!

Link: here

Sultan Magomedov is known as a nightingale and the singer of Chechnya. Ever since 1957, his very special, charming voice has pleased the ear and brought people joy. Anyone who has heard it cannot forget it. Magomedov's renditions of "Away from my motherland," "The beautiful morning of the Caucasus," "Along the mountain roads," "A Shepherd's song" and other pieces still ring the bell but no one can sing them as passionately as Magomedov could.

Sultan Magomedov grew up in the deportation years. He made concrete in Kyrgyzstan when playwright Abdul-Khamid Khamidov took notice of his naturally rich, mellow voice and invited him to join a nascent folk song and dance company.

The committee for the reconstruction of the Chechen-Ingush Republic took into account both material and spiritual needs of the repatriates. It sifted their ranks for talents. Composer Khalebski found such highly gifted people as Shchita Edilsultanov, Zulai Sardalova, Umar Deniyev, Yaraghi Zubairayev, Alvi Deniyev and Tamara Aliyeva. But it was not until a short time later that Sultan Magomedov had met his dream of returning to Chechnya. He had no home in Chechnya and had, at first, to room with 17-year-old Muslim Magomayev on the stage of the Philharmonic Society of Grozny. Then, Azeri composer Gadzhiyev invited both youngsters to move to Baku where, he said, they would be allowed to join without entrance exams the State Conservatory of music. Muslim Magomayev left Chechnya for Azerbaijn but Sultan Magomedov prefered to solo with the Chechen-Ingush song and dance company. Sultan wanted to serve his people and spared no effort to meet his philharmonic, radio,  recording, touring and other job commitments.

The Chechen-Ingush government appreciated his creative potential and the effort he put into his work. Sultan Magomedov was made a Merited Artist of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomy. Life in general was returning to normal, changes for the better were evident in his own life, too. He had a home, a wife and a son. He was doing well and it seemed he would be able to do much yet in the many years to come. But his health condition, as it turned out, left much to be desired. He passed away at the age of 35.

The memory of Sultan Magomedov is alive. A museum will some day open in his home village of Kurchaloi