Hokuma Najafova (1915 - 2002)

Hokuma Yusif gizi Najafova was born on 19 November, 1915 in an intelligent family in Baku. When she was a child together with Gizbas Asadova and Aghabaji Rzayeva she studied under the supervision of Said Rustamov at tar department of the Cultural House named after Abilov. Meeting with Uzeyir Hajibayov brought her to the Musical School named after Asaf Zeynalli. While studying both at the composition department and tar department Hokuma Najafova was one of the favourite students of Uzeyir Hajibayov. Even the prominent composer gave himself scholarship to some poor students supposedly they received it on behalf of government. They didn’t know that they were given the scholarship by Uzeyir Hajibayov himself until the great composer died. Uzeyir Hajibayov highly evaluated the talent, ability, composed works and performances of Hokuma Najafova and was much pleased with her public activity, self-sacrifice determination in the development deeds of our culture. Besides the fact that Hokuma Najafova was one of the woman composers of Azerbaijan, she also was the first woman who played tar.

Many of well-known songs by Hokuma Najafova such as “Kash ki gozel olmayaydim” (If I weren’t a beauty), “Halimajan”, “Saninlayam” (I’m with you), “Gacha bilmazsan mandan” (You can’t avoid of me), “Khalidajan”, “Jeyran balasi”, etc. are even very actual songs today. These songs once were heard by the rendition of the prominent singers such as Shovkat Alakbarova, Sara Gadimova, Zeynab Khanlarova, Elmira Rahimova. She is an author of books for piano “Yarim galdi” (My love has come) (1945), “Arzu” (Dream) (1946), “Children’s songs” for singing by accompany of piano (1967), “Songs” (1968, 1975) and “Ana Yurdum” “My homeland”, books for songs and romances. Hokuma Najafova, an author of nice composition works and performances died in 2002, at the age of 91.