Turkmenistan (Fails To) Mark Greatest Musical Son's 70th Birthday

The melancholy strains of "Broken Life" provide a window into the understated existence of one of the Turkmen nation's greatest sons.







Halmamedov strived to bring traditional Turkmen music into the mainstream by mixing it with European symphonic strains. His effort is credited with giving new life and meaning to Turkmen music.

Before Halmamedov began composing, the performance of Turkmen melodies was confined to national musical instruments, notably the dutar, a two-stringed lute. Halmamedov introduced Turkmen music to a global audience by adapting traditional music for symphonic orchestras. He also wrote music for the opera, ballet, and musicals based on Turkmen lyrics.

Halmamedov went on to compose music for many other films, documentaries, and animated shorts. His scores accompany more than 10 Turkmen films, including "The Decisive Step", "Kechpelek", "Mukhtumquli", which today are recognized as the nation's modern classics.

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