Shahrizoda (Uzbek Cyrillic: Шаҳризода; Uyghur script: شهريزاده) is a music group (guruhi) from Uzbekistan, each line-up consisting of three girls. The group began in 2003 and more than twelve different girls have been part of the group at one time or another. The original trio was intermittently based in Ürümqi, the provincial capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China.
Their music could be described as traditional ethnic music, ethno-pop and dance pop. The majority of Shahrizoda’s songs are sung in Uzbek, however occasionally they have sung in Uyghur and two songs in Chinese Mandarin.
The name Shahrizoda is the transliteration of the Uzbek and Uyghur variants of Scheherezade, the legendary Arabian princess and story teller of One Thousand and One Nights.
In 2006 the girls released a CD/VCD album called Oynasun, featuring a series of videos shot in various locations across Xinjiang. The song “Oynasun” (Uzbek: O’ynasin), a remake of a popular Uyghur folk song, became an instant hit. A second DVD album (Bilat tilayman) was produced in 2007, containing a couple of songs in Chinese in an attempt to break into the large Han Chinese market. However this album was only moderately successful. In 2010 their third album, Qalb isyoni, was released.
Several new songs have appeared online as of November 2014 and it is unknown whether a fourth album is impending. Few resources are available from Uzbekistan because of limited media coverage. It is difficult to find any information about the girls and any new songs they might have released.
Shahrizoda’s producer is Sa’dulla Abdullayev, and an interview from late 2014 reveals that the group was originally created in order to sing at friend’s weddings! Their producer also says that as the group is women only, it can be hard when they get married and therefore have to leave the group due to family commitments. This would probably explain why there have been so many different girls representing the name.
Shahrizoda is not to be confused with Uzbek singer Shahzoda (aka Zilola Bahodirovna Musaeva), or Uzbek singer Shahrizoda Ahrorxo’jayeva. The latter has several songs on YouTube simply using her first name. You will be able to tell this isn’t the guruhi (group) because it only features one girl singing.
LINE-UPS
Here are all the known line-ups and girls of Shahrizoda. I have gathered this information from a variety of places, but most particularly the various Instagram pages of some of the girls. Thank you! Katta rahmat.
I have tried to put things in SOMEWHAT sequential order, however it gets a little confusing at times because a few ladies have come and go periodically. For example I think a few, like Gulnoza, Zebo and possibly Shahnoza Y, got married and left the group and then returned a few years later.
To start off, we have the original line-up of the group, well-loved and known. This is where it all began!
The original line-up: Muborak, Shahnoza and Aziza
UZ: Muborak Ashurboeva (Jamolxonova)
RU: Муборак Ашурбаева (Жамолхонова)
UZ: Shahnoza/Shaxnoza Shakirova (Kuchkarova)
RU: Шахноза Шакирова (Кучкарова)
UZ: Aziza Ismadiyarova (Qodirova)
RU: Азиза Исмадиярова (Кодирова)
Subsequent line-ups featured Sarvar* replacing either Shahnoza or Aziza. And then some new faces starting appearing!
Second line-up: Sarvar, Aziza and Muborak
Sarvar, Muborak and Shahnoza
UZ: Sarvar*
RU: Сарвар
*I am not sure if this is
her correct name or not
UZ: Kamola Arslanova (Diyora)
RU: Камола Арсланова (Диёра)
UZ: Shahnoza Yo’ldosheva
RU: Шахноза Юлдашева
Shahnoza Y, Muborak and Kamola (Diyora). I am not even sure if this group performed together or not.
This is a ‘poster’ of Sarvar, Shahnoza and Gulnoza who performed in Ürümqi. The text is in Uyghur and date is unknown.
UZ: Gulnoza Qudratova
RU: Гулноза Кудратова
UZ: Sitora
RU: Ситора
UZ: Ziyoda Usmonova
RU: Зиёда Усманова
Not to be confused with the singer Ziyoda Qobilova. Ziyoda’s vocals feature in the song ‘Uch qiz‘.
Shahnoza, Sitora and Gulnoza
Gulnoza, Shahnoza and Shahnoza Y. This is the charismatic trio that produced the ‘Qalb isyoni’ album.
After Qalb isyoni, the girls seem to mix and match a lot. Gulnoza leaves and is replaced by unknown girl #1 I unfortunately don’t have the name of. Then the unknown girl is replaced by Ziyoda, and Shahnoza Y is replaced with Zebo. Shahnoza is the only constant. In fact, in the song “Amira” from 2013, Shahnoza’s voice is the only one you hear distinctly. (In most Shahrizoda songs, each one of the three girls gets a unique verse or two to sing).
Unknown girl #1
I have seen this girl sing with Shahrizoda at Ayol va Muqaddassan concert in 2012 and 2013.
UZ: Zebo Nosirova
RU: Зебо Носирова
Unknown girl #1, Shahnoza and Shahnoza Y
Ziyoda, Shahnoza and Zebo. For a long time I thought Zebo and Shahnoza Y were the same person but they are clearly not!
Ziyoda is replaced by Risolat, and this combination sings “Dutor” and “Qo’llarim rulda” together. Zebo then leaves, and TV presenter and singer Jayrona sings with Gulnoza and Shahnoza Y who have returned (I suspect they both got married and/or had children and that’s why they left the group earlier).
Zebo, Shahnoza and Risolat
Gulnoza, Shahnoza Y and Jayrona. Jayrona appears to only sing with the girls on a couple of occasions, perhaps filling in for Shahnoza S.
UZ: Risolat To’lqinova
RU: Рисолат Тулкинова
UZ: Jayrona
RU: Джейрана
Jayrona is a TV presenter for Milliy TV in Uzbekistan.
Our original member, Shahnoza, returns to sing with Risolat and Gulnoza at several events, including Ayol va Muqaddassan concert in 2016. They sing “Ayol“. Shortly after this time, original girl Shahnoza S leaves the group and is married (in 2018), leaving Risolat, Gulnoza and Shahnoza Y as the next incarnation. They sing (in English!) “Happy New Year” at a New Year’s event at the end of 2016, at the Ayol va Muqaddassan concert for 2017, and at a Navruz (Persian New Year) event in Xumson, Uzbekistan.
Gulnoza, Shahnoza and Risolat
Risolat, Shahnoza Y and Gulnoza at the New Years 2016 event
It appears that Risolat has now left the group, and may be pursuing an acting career. Replacing her is unknown girl #2, who is also running the girl’s official Instagram page. They sang ‘Qizil gul’ at the Ayol va Muqaddassan concert in March 2019, and before that they appeared in a TV movie celebrating Mirzabek Xolmedov for the New Year. They may have appeared at a few other shows and events together.
Hi, Admin hope you are fine. I am in china could you please tell me where they live in Urumqi because its convenient for me to go to Urumqi. I am fan of them so if possible i would love to meet them in real.
Thanks
Kind Regards,
Intikhab Ahmad
Hi Intikhab, thanks for your comment!
Unfortunately I don’t have any contact details for the girls – and furthermore, I do not believe they live in Ürümqi anymore 🙁 I am fairly positive the current line-up lives exclusively in Uzbekistan.
Sorry I can’t be of much help!
Have a good day,
Cheers, Jess
Hello dear “Shahrizoda group”.Nice too meet you. My greatings from Mongolia “Nomadic cultural center”
i could not sleep until then I see&hear shahrizoda really very good music&beautiful faces
Hi admin! The unknown girl was from Xinjiang Urumchi city and name is Sarvar, and the new group members and one old member Shahnoza are living in Uzbekistan. Their producer Sadulla had problems with his partner in Xinjiang Anwar Mahmud, then they leaved China!
Oh wow, thank you very much for that information!! I will edit this post.
Hi Admin, i love their songs I wish to see them in real the very first group of Shahrizoda one of my favorite ever singers.
Aziza ( long hair) is married to Ulugbek Qodirov famous actor in Uzbekistan, Muborak also married to someone, just only Shahnoza the main voice of group is still waiting for her prince, she lives in Tashkent
Hi Counter, yes, I did make a post about Aziza being married to Ulug’bek! I’ve seen him in the movie ‘Panoh’ which also stars Muborak. I figured Muborak is married because she is not in the group. Maybe Shahnoza doesn’t want to be married, and keep singing? All the power to her 🙂
Are original members of shahrizoda (muborak,aziza,shahnaz) muslims???……….
Hi Asif Khan –
Uzbekistan is an Islamic country, so it is likely that yes, they are Muslim, however Islam is very secular and so their traditions and culture will be different to other Muslim countries 🙂 For example, not every woman wears the hijab/headscarf. I hope this helps!
I heard many complains about original members when I showed their videos to both Uyghurs and Uzbeks. Uzbeks said “It is not Uzbek, I merely understand plot of the song”, and Uyghurs told “it is not perfect Uyghur, it sounds like Uzbek.” I was confused they are real Uzbek or Uyghur or even Kazakh or Kyrgyz?? Maybe Turkmen, Azeri? Even Turkish????
Hi Alim – Haha! That’s funny. I am pretty sure they are Uzbek, not Uyghur. The varying comments could be because the girls have often sung traditional Uyghur folk songs and that might sound a little strange to native Uzbek-speakers and native Uyghur-speakers – the Uyghurs may think they have an accent (which they probably do) and the Uzbek-speakers might not immediately recognise they are singing in Uyghur as the languages are so similar. Who knows really. But no, just judging by the girl’s names, the fact they are exclusively based in Uzbekistan now, and that the posts of Shahnoza S and Gulnoza on Instagram are either in Uzbek or Russian, leads me to deduce that most, if not all of Shahrizoda’s girls, are ethnically and nationally Uzbek. 🙂
Hi Admin,
First of all thanks for this unique initiative…
I’m from India, though I can’t speak Uzbek; but I can understand it pretty much because I’ve spent few days in Uzbekistan! I’m a great lover of music. Everyday I used to listen beautiful numbers from Shahrizoda on YOUTUBE. My favourite song is ‘Yorigulla..’.Even my 6years old daughter too like Uzbek music.
Please tell me any source from where I can download all the videos from Shahrizoda in HD….
Thanks again.
Hi Abhijit, thanks for your message! Glad you like the site 🙂
Oh wow, that’s awesome you recently spent some time in Uzbekistan! That’s cool your young daughter likes them 🙂
I actually don’t have a source you can download their videos, I’m sorry 🙁
Cheers,
Jess (admin)
hi admin can you give me the facebook or instagram of the girl in the red shirt? see in link bellow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0HCvrMbNo
Hi greenbaret, that’s Muborak. I don’t think she has an Instagram or Facebook that I am aware of, I’m sorry 🙁 She has appeared in a few films, you might be able to watch her in them – google ‘Muborak Ashurboeva’ or ‘Muborak Jamolxonova’. Cheers, Jess (admin)
Hi Admin long time no see.
I will visit Uzbekistan this month and will try to find out old members of Sharizoda via my human resources(?)
Last few years I have made good relations with local Uyghur community and would like to ask them if they know one
of them. I will try to interview them and hope to figure out are they really ethnically Uyghur.
I will soon give you news!!
Assalam o Alaikum beautiful Shahrizoda I am from Pakistan in phatan…I always see your songs …ALLAH blessed you all…Thanks
Your friend Adil Habib khattak
i like shahrizoda and i like nadira………so much
nadira is so pretty and so beautiful , she’s a dream!!
where are nadira?? nadira i miss you , i like your song ,i like your voice , and i like your face ,your beautyful face , you look like an angel, you are an angel!
I am a Chinese. There songs are my best memories of childhood. I love their songs. But I don’t know where I can enjoy their songs. Very sad.
Hy, Admin Can i get muborak contact ?
I am Canadian, but lived in Urumqi in 2005/2006. I remember all your songs of your first VCD.
m7cxpr