The blind master is conveying the art of maqom to the younger generation (video)

Shahriyor Dodojonov is visually impaired; he cannot see the world, but he hears it in the maqom melodies. Despite health-related limitations, he is a teacher and is currently teaching children traditional art.

“Parents bring their children and wonder: what kind of lesson will it be? Then after attending a couple of classes and seeing my teaching activities, they become happy. They express warm thoughts to me, saying that I really conduct good lessons,” he says.

Shahriyor dreamed of being an artist since childhood, and his visual impairment has not been an obstacle. With the support of his family, teachers, and classmates, he graduated from the Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture, and now he teaches maqom in a small town in the Syrdarya region.

“I believe that rather than listening to foreign songs, if we beautifully perform our maqom songs and the traditional songs left by our masters, the youth will definitely listen,” Dodojonov says.

He treats each student individually, and despite the complexity of maqom performance, he does not differentiate between anyone.
“I think a teacher has no right to choose students because students come. They have the right to choose their teacher. But the teacher builds a relationship with the student who comes and gives the first lesson. If that child has talent, they will carry it through to the end. Otherwise, they will be forced to try themselves in another field,” he says.

Sputnik Uzbekistan features Shahriyor sharing how he overcame challenges in his life, why it is important to preserve traditional art, and how he approaches his students.