Here we present a LP by Xozhixon Boltayev (Xojixon Boltaev, Хожихон Болтаев), a great singer from Khiva, the old city in Khorezm in western Uzbekistan. The recordings were first published in 1967.
Xozhixon Boltayev was in the middle of the 20th century a great master of the Khorezm Maqoms called Alti-Yarim Maqom (six and a half Maqoms). This Maqom tradition is extremely poorly documented. My friend Danny brought from his trip to Uzbekistan a couple of years ago a book in English on this Maqom tradition, in which our singer is mentioned extensively. I read this very interesting book. In the internet one can find information on this tradition here. But after all the reading I did I still don't know for sure if the music on this LP corresponds more or less to this Maqom tradtion or at least to certain aspects of it or not. I guess it does.
Another singer from Khiva, slightly younger than Xozhixon Boltayev, is Komiljon Otaniyozov (1917-1975). He has also a relation to this Maqom tradition. We posted in 2012 two LPs by him. See here.
The man in the middle - I guess - is Xozhixon Boltayev, the man on the right Komiljon Otaniyozov.